


Shackles Shattered

by Kamen_rider_Dimension



Category: Highschool DxD (Anime), Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Mementos (Persona 5), Metaverse (Persona 5), Persona 5 Spoilers, Post-Persona 5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 65,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23492602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamen_rider_Dimension/pseuds/Kamen_rider_Dimension
Summary: His time was over, peace was all he desired. At least, that's what Ren believed. When that man appeared before him again, however,  there was no chance of escape - The Trickster must act once more. "Listen closely! I am the demon of Shibuya, the leader of those who the corrupted fear! I have only two words for those who would seek to take advantage of the weak, to spread their taint upon humanity! Joker's back."
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Lavenza (Persona Series), Amamiya Ren/Okumura Haru
Kudos: 38





	1. Return of a Phantom

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in late 2018. A rewrite of a story that lost its plot, ruined its characters and aged extremely badly. This was originally conceived before the release of Persona 5 Royal, so will disregard any additional content included. Please, enjoy.

What was there to say about him? He was past his rebellious phase at this point; he had settled down into average student life, enjoyed the passing days with his friends doing all sorts of crazy things and revelled in the times where he could simply relax and take in the peace that surrounded him. he liked to believe that at this point, he was giving people very little reason to dislike him, what with his grades remaining relatively high and the many times he had helped them out and treated them to curry and coffee.

So when he awoke upon that prison bed, Ren Amamiya could only lament his failings in trying to forget the past.

That smile, the seemingly endless smile and bulging eyes that looked far beyond Ren's physical being, they locked onto him the moment Ren's eyes fluttered open. The boy didn't even need to look down to tell he was once more draped in the garb of a prisoner, a ratty black and white striped jumpsuit, Ren slipping out of the threadbare blanket and standing up on shaky feet. He had thought he had been done with this, that there would never be a reason to return to this world, and yet the weights of shackles remained upon his wrists, the restraint of an iron ball pulled upon his ankle. Lifting his arms, however, revealed something that Ren had not been expecting.

No longer was the cold steel falling between the two manacles, not fully at least. Dissolving particles of light dropped down the ground, dissipating as they melted away more and more of the chain. A fair amount of the links were starting to melt away in this manner, revealing cores of blue light that held his shackles together. It didn't require a genius to understand the consequences; should they continue dispersing in small particles of light then no matter how slow it may be, those shackles would no longer be a restraint upon Ren.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… though I suppose you already knew that, didn't you?" the voice was far lighter, far more jovial than the cold suppressive tone that Ren had heard through much of his rebellious year. That didn't mean his appearance had changed any, however; still the same old man with a ridiculously large nose and almost inhuman proportions that an unspeakable evil had chosen to imitate. It was meant to be impossible, they were meant to have faded after he had put the final bullet through his foe, ended a struggle that threatened all of humanity… Igor's smile only grew as he continued to speak, gently interlocking his fingers beneath his chin. "Rarely do we ever get a visitor who returns to the Velvet Room once their journey has concluded. To you, we may have faded from existence, but the Velvet Room will never disappear; once your contract is concluded, your key is returned and there is no need to enter our establishment once more. Under normal circumstances."

"The only time a visitor may appear within the Velvet room is when they are travelling upon a journey. Until that journey is completed, they have complete access to the various services offered." Now that voice, the voice of a young girl, filled with grace and unearthly elegance; that was something Ren couldn't forget. How oddly serene he had been when two lost their heads, two young girls who had made it their duty to try and 'rehabilitate' him, only to learn their true purpose and die to be reborn anew. Dressed in a blue and black dress, a delicate butterfly winged headband resting upon a wave of pale hair, Lavenza stood forth with a small smile. "It appears, my trickster, that your journey had only been put on hold. Once you awaken once more, you will continue."

"…No. I moved past that. The Phantom has faded away." Ren's voice may have been soft, but no matter how hard he tried to hide it, a certain weariness cut through his words. "They were some of the worst and best days of my life, but they're over. They can't continue."

How Ren had enjoyed being one of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Nowhere else could he find such freedom to act as he desired, never had he ever felt so powerful when commanding the other thieves. Every time they followed one of his orders, they had no obligation to do so; it was a constant reminder that the friends Ren had made believed in him so much, they were willing to submit themselves to his control. Sure, those same exact friends remained and they still held just as much faith in him, but if the thieves had never come together, their incredible differences may have kept every single one of them from growing as anything more than acquaintances.

There was no denying that Ren was a changed man though. Not a single mortal who walked this earth could have gone through the experiences Ren had and stayed the same person throughout; he had faced enough violence, trickery and betrayal to last several lifetimes and if what was being implied here was correct, that list of bloodied names was only going to grow. Of course, there were very few times where someone had actually died by his hands, for the world the thieves thrived within was far different to that of the normal human world, but that didn't remove any of the sting killing held, not for long.

"If they continue, then my friends will be in danger. All of them, they don't want or need to be the phantom thieves anymore!" Ren's voice was steadily beginning to pick up in volume as his fist smashed against the iron bars that formed the door to his cell; even without the threat of constant combat, Ren had kept up with his physical training and the act managed to make the doors rattle far more than they had done when he started his journey. "We did our job, don't take our peace away from us! Please."

There was silence at first, save for the tapping of Igor's fingers against the simple wooden desk he resided at. never was there a moment that felt as tense as those few seconds, not the time he pulled off an incredible gambit to defeat the plans of the traitor, not the time he had the other thieves had been forced to face down the harbinger of doom, not even the time when he had to face several women at valentines. Lavenza's smile faded slightly as she turned to look at her master. No matter how much affection she held for Ren, she was merely the assistant born to help out Igor with his visitor and if he desired it so, she would have to close her ears to the desires of her trickster.

"…Those chains, they slowly fall apart. Your hesitations keep them upon your form though, but one day they must break." Igor spoke, waving a hand casually at the damaged shackles that appeared upon Ren's limbs. "No longer do they take the form of a society that would keep you restrained, the only restraints keeping you from becoming your full potential is yourself. They fade away partially; there is a chance for you to ascend to a power far greater than ever before, but until you allow yourself the desire for freedom you have locked away within your subconscious, you will never be truly free."

…No, no that wasn't possible. That was what the thieves had been formed for, to fight for their freedom from a society that was corrupted and tainted by the sins of humanity and they had won. Those chains had already been taken off him, there was no reason why they should ever return. The rules couldn't change now and they certainly couldn't place the blame on him. He had given everything he could, he had sacrificed everything in the ultimate bet and succeeded! If they wanted to put chains on him again, then he would damn well fight back!

"Wha-!?" a sudden cracking noise filled the air as shards of metal fell off from the shackles, revealing more and more of their molten blue cores of pure energy. While they still held tight, they had lost some of their stability, a sight that caused Igor's already overly large smile to grow even more, so much so that it looked to split his face clean in half. A sharp gesture of the old man's hand resulted in the doors of the cell Ren was trapped in to slowly creak open, Lavenza stepping forth with a glint in her eyes. Ren immediately tried to step forward, only to reach so far before the restraint of the iron ball upon his ankle decided no more. "Lavenza!"

"My trickster, you've seen what will remove those chains from your body." The small girl softly said. "This journey must go forth, there is no reason why you would return otherwise. Peace has taken away your desire to change but there are far more places within the human world that desire the assistance only a phantom thief could bring. The world needs you, my trickster, even if that means pain on your behalf."

"…There's no other choice, is there?" Ren muttered, his eyes closed and messy unkempt hair falling over his eyes. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he held his arms upward. "I hope the pay's a little better this time."

The response brought back the smile to Lavenza's face as more and more shards of steel fell and dissolved in droplets of energy, a strong tug and a devastating cry from Ren shattering the chains completely until only the rings themselves remained upon his wrist, the black-haired boy kicking forth until the chain upon the iron ball too broke off completely, Ren stepping forth through the open doorway into the open area of the Velvet Room. Now that felt much better, far better than he had personally been expecting as the pinstripes decorating his horrible bodysuit faded away, giving way to a far more stylish high necked waistcoat with golden accents beneath an ankle-length tailcoat, dark shoes and jogger trousers, a red gloved hand slamming onto Igor's desk when Joker approached.

"Half my size and pleading. You drive a hard bet, don't you?" Joker muttered with a grin, one mirrored by the old man he was speaking to. That joviality was tempered however by his next line. "Whatever it is I'm going to do, however, will not involve my friends though, understand that? They fought for the peace they have now and they deserve to enjoy it. I won't let them fight once more."

"Though I wish it were so, I do not know all that the future holds. What kind of story you will weave from here on in… That is up to you." Igor stated, completely disregarding of the hand that was frightfully close to him. Though the bravado he had as Joker may have made him more of a threat than the simple Ren Amamiya, neither side was foolish enough to believe that Igor was in any way disadvantaged. "However, it is fortunate to see that you have regained the spark left smothered for so long. The world will surely be a better place with it returned to you."

A subtle glow began to overtake the area, both Igor and Lavenza holding a look of confusion as a gentle light began to fill the air. Growing in intensity, both boy and girl were forced to cover their eyes, though Igor remained completely unmoving, merely remaining in his casual position as he continued to speak.

"As you were told before, the state of this room reflects the state of your heart. The reason why it holds the appearance it did before, the prison once formed by fate, was because you had formed a prison for yourself, a prison of peace with a warden who wanted to forget about who you once were, who you truly are." The master explained. "However, with your resolve regained, this room will once more form to your heart and take on a new appearance. But the night wanes and the time for awakening will soon return. Come your return to this room, you will learn of this place's new form."

"No explanation of what's going on?" of course that wouldn't change – the master Ren had gotten used to was remarkably skilled at being vague and the true Igor would naturally be no different. The only time he had been completely clear was when speaking about threats and how he had been temporarily overthrown. As Ren's awareness within the Velvet Room began to fade, his last sight was the grin growing upon Igor's face and a chuckle, Lavenza giving a small curtsey in farewell before his sight faded to black.

Lavenza looked to her master, Igor gently plucking the navy coloured quill to his right and delicately scribing down… something upon the piece of paper before him. Now that he was returned, there were often times where Igor wrote down these strange notes that would never find their way to her Grimoire and she was often left in the dark about his intentions. It was a fact that rankled her to no end. What she did know, however, was…

"Mementos was meant to have been destroyed with the defeat of Yaldabaoth, yet there are signs of it returning, like a taint upon the world… just how could this be possible?" the assistant questioned aloud, her master turning in her direction with a small sigh.

"As I said before, I know not all the answer. However, with the trickster back in action, there will surely be light shone upon this mystery." The elderly man explained, neatly concluding his notes and depositing them upon the steadily growing pile to his left. "And I feel he will need assistance just as he had before from his fellow thieves. However, if he will not call upon them to fight alongside him, then there is only one who deserves a place by his side."

"…Master?"

"Lavenza. Young though you are, how do you feel about taking a journey of your own, as your siblings before you have done?"

* * *

Ren opened his eyes with a gasp, immediately sitting up in his bed. Was that a dream? No, that was definitely a dream, there was no doubt about that. Maybe a better question would be, was that a dream that he was allowed to ignore?

The boy's musings were pulled towards the soft tones escaping his phone, a sleepy hand reaching out to grab the mobile and bring it closer to his face. Just as he expected, it was Haru's face that first appeared upon the screen, the text she sent a perfect wakeup call as the boy moved out of bed.

_I managed to purchase the café in Kuoh! For the rather advantageous position within the city, it was surprisingly cheap. Are you still staying with Sojiro and Futaba?_

_In the attic right now. When can we move in?_

_Immediately! I can bring over some transportation if Sojiro's too busy to take you. The traffic can be a little troublesome at these times._

A soft chuckle escaped Ren as his eyes passed over the message. Haru Okumura, a shy and gentle girl with a surprisingly deceptive vicious streak to her. They had met when acting as separate thieves, aiming to steal the heart of Kunikazu Okumura – her father though she had been an adversary at first, albeit not exactly a good one considering her adorable tendencies, Ren couldn't imagine a time now where he could fight her. After a disastrous valentine, their relationship had blossomed beautifully no matter what hardships they faced, like a sprout upon a cold Tokyo rooftop in December and now they were finally going to take one of the first steps towards Haru's dream.

It was a fresh start, away from Tokyo where her Father had moved her to attend the prestigious Shujin academy, purely for the prestige that came with the school name than anything else; beyond her friends and the fact that there were contracts with Okumura food in the area as there were in many places throughout Japan, Haru held no love for the area in particular. After discussions with the advisors' board of the company, she was free to go where she wanted and she had immediately consulted Ren on where they wanted to go together without hesitation.

_That would be great. Can't wait to see you again._

_Don't be silly, you saw me only yesterday!_

_Doesn't mean I don't miss you when you're gone._

_You relentless romantic. I'll be there soon!_

"Oi, you gonna eat that curry or not? I don't just make that for free for anyone you know – it's special." A teasing voice called out, Ren instantly taking in his surroundings as he looked away from his phone. There was Sojiro stood before him, dressed in the same pink shirt and pale Khakis he always wore, dusting off his hands on the black apron. He must've been acting out his daily routine without thinking about it.

"What do you mean special? You've made this curry for me way too many times for me to count." Ren answered back jokingly, placing his phone back in his pocket as he picked up the spoon offered by the café owner. The curry stood for more than simply the café special, both of them were perfectly aware of that, but the relationship once frosty between them had warmed up enough that both of them were comfortable with making fun of one another.

"Hey, doesn't make it any less special. Now, what's got you so hooked on your phone? Not one of those stupid AR games they're coming up with is it?" the gruff man remarked, turning back so he could continue setting up Café LeBlanc for the day.

"Haru's managed to find a place to open up our café. She'll be coming around to take us over there and begin trying to set up." Came the easy reply. Ah, good coffee – there seemed to be no substitute for it in his life, not when he had spent so much time in the quaint little café. "Consider this my last day here for now."

"Futaba ain't going to be too happy with that. Usually, you stay for a week or so; it's only been about three days this time." Almost as if summoned by the mention of her name and the soothing scent of curry and coffee combining, the orange-haired girl rushed down the stairs, sitting at the counter and giving a big grin as the steaming plate was set down before her.

"Hey Ren-Ren, Sojiro." Despite the bags beneath her eyes, the small girl began to eat with gusto, nearly shovelling the food into her mouth with a satisfied sigh. That stupid nickname? Ren was pretty sure he told her a million times to drop it, but the irritation only served to nake Futaba use it more. The only thing Sojiro could do at the display was give a weary sigh.

"You've been up all night playing your games, haven't you? Sojiro muttered as he wiped the rim of a glass. "Well, you just missed the fact that Ren is heading off down Kuoh way with Haru. Opening up a café of their own and he'll have to cut off his visit early."

The effect of his words was immediate, the spoon sticking itself in Futaba's throat as the girl began to choke. Chugging down the coffee that was pushed in her direction and letting out a small gag, Futaba whirled round to look at Ren with something akin to betrayal in her eyes as a pout appeared upon her lips.

"You what!? You can't just do this without telling me!" the girl screamed, Ren flinching slightly at the anger emanating off of Futaba. The girl may not be the most physically strong, but she still could pack quite the punch when she wanted to and from the glint in her eyes, that desire was growing by the second. "You only just came, you can't leave yet! We haven't' seen each other in so long, you don't get to quit halfway through!"

"Well, nothing is stopping me from coming over once we're settled in Kuoh." Ren reminded the girl, placing a hand upon her head and giving it a small shake, resulting in a blush from the still pouting Futaba. "Haru's going to need all the help she can get if she wants to start a chain of cafes, I'd be a fool not to lend my hand."

"…fine, but I get to be the first customer when you have this café set up. No exceptions!"

"Argh, you got me! Sure, you'll be the first one through the doors when it's complete. I'm sure Haru won't mind. Sojiro, that naturally goes to you too." Ren said. Thanks to the fact his bimonthly stays were so short, the majority of his things remained packed in his suitcase – it wouldn't take long at all to get it all packed. After breakfast was concluded and a halfhearted attempt by Futaba to get him to stay once more, the black-haired boy was waiting outside the café doors, shaking his head when the limousine rolled up the street. "You know Haru, there are more simple ways of travel."

"I know, but it was the easiest to get at such short notice." from the pristine white doors came out Haru, the brunette positively beaming as she engulfed Ren in a tight hug, one eagerly returned as the two locked eyes. It was fortunate that beyond Sojiro and Futaba, no one could possibly see them; while Ren was more than happy to flaunt their relationship, it still brought a healthy glow to Haru's cheeks whenever they were caught being more than a little friendly with one another. Naturally, unlike the dirtier thoughts that might bring to mind for some people, 'a little more than friendly' was in Haru's eyes holding hands and hugging more intimately than friends. "I'm still not exactly sure how we managed to get the premises secured so quickly; the man said he would have to sort things out on his end, then all of a sudden sent me an email saying it was ready immediately. Oh! Morgana's also here as well, come in! Is that everything you have?"

"Everything I brought to Café LeBlanc, the rest I can get once the start to the café is ready," Ren answered, holding open the door for a giggling Haru to enter before sliding in himself, the amount of space within the luxurious vehicle meaning that even with his suitcase, there was more than enough space to feel comfortable. One person, or animal, who was clearly enjoying the comfort was a black cat resting against the heated seats, a low purr escaping him as Ren slipped his hand onto the cat's stomach. "Hey, Morgana. Haru's been spoiling you I see."

"Hey, I can't help it! I don't even know why these things are heated, but they are the best!" Morgana purred, the revving of the limousine engine as they started to move along only adding to the soothing sensation running through the cat's body. It was a hard contradiction to the image Morgana tried to form while as one of the most knowledgeable members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, the tough act easily melting away under the combined assault of good food, comfy seats and a girl that was perfectly willing to bend to his desires. "So, you two are headed off for this Kuoh place? What's it like?"

"Calm, friendly, good food and shops. Great for residents and tourists alike." Ren remarked, the line burnt deep into his memory. Everyone seemed to have the same thoughts about the area, it was almost eerie. If he hadn't been there for himself and thought the exact same thing, the boy would've been more worried that everyone was being brainwashed. As it was, however, there didn't seem to be a better place for them to start their café.

"They have beautiful parks as well. Maybe when we're better situated, we could have a picnic!" Haru suggested, a beautiful smile upon her face as the dream floated before her eyes. "We could make a few snacks, feel the breeze... oh, I just can't wait! Sir, do you know how much time it will take us to arrive at the building?"

"Unfortunately Miss Haru, it appears that traffic is piling up on the roads. Normally, it would take approximately a couple of hours, but expect a delay." the chauffeur declared before falling silent once more; Ren supposed he wasn't getting paid enough to be that friendly with them. Even with the luxuries of the limousine they were in, the extended journey just suddenly became a lot more awkward on their bodies.

"The company has been talking about expanding into the Kuoh area, but I managed to convince them to hold off while I attempt to get the café going. They can tell me whatever they want, but they're still a little cautious about returning to the roots my grandfather set up." Haru spoke up, her smile being tainted by a slight look of uncertainty entering her eyes. "the advisors' initial plan was to set up both a standard affair Okumura Foods outlet in the area and see how it does compared to the café, they wanted to use my family's own company to give me competition!"

That was the thing with many high-end business owners and shareholders. Their cares weren't about how to make the best product or cater to everyone as best as possible, not in and of itself. No, they were there for the money and if they weren't going to get their paycheque after a decision, then they would fight the decision all the way, that was simply the greed of man. Compared to the tried and true system that they were currently deploying and reaping a large amount of profit from, the idea of a smaller, more niche chain of cafes which focused more on catering to a smaller number of people and charging lower prices was going to rub people the wrong way, the people who were paying the bills. If it weren't for the work of Takakura, the latest president of Okumura Foods, working with Haru, there was little chance of such a plan succeeding.

"I'm not exactly a business-savvy guy, but that seems kind of stupid. Can't you just get rid of the people trying to stop you?" Morgana suggested sleepily, Ren shaking his head gently.

"it doesn't matter how much you like a person or not, nor how they act. If they're paying enough money into the business, then it makes business sense to cater to their tastes. These sorts of people are used to getting their way and aren't used to having the judgement rejected." the black-haired boy mused. "But if that's how they think this is going to end up, then we just have to show them how wrong they are. We'll make this a success together and have those old men eating their words."

"Well, not all of them are that old, but I get your point!" Haru answered, her hands balling into fists in her lap. "We've struggled so much to get this far, it would be an insult to give up at this point right?"

"Yeah, just make sure you feed me anything that gets leftover. You know, so there isn't any waste." Morgana teasingly interjected, a small pout appearing on Haru's face as she titled her head, a stray finger reaching out to poke the cat in his stomach. "Hey, what's with the random poking!?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. I was just wondering if you have any plans to work off the fat you seem to be building." though it was spoken in a cheery voice, there was just the smallest hint of sadism to her words that had Morgana reeling back with a hiss, curling into himself. "All you seem to be doing nowadays is following whoever's taking care of you around and eating. I'm simply looking after your health. Maybe we should get you on a diet and exercise plan."

"I'm not getting fat! I don't need an exercise plan!" the cat immediately objected, trying his best to dodge around Haru's attempts grab a hold of him, the hands that reached out only a little slower than the animal could move. "Joker, help me out! This she-devil's trying to kill me over here!"

"Don't worry, I'm only teasing Mona, Ren. Still, maybe you could use a little exercise..." Ren was only listening with half of his attention, he was still stuck on his girlfriend's words. They had struggled to get this far indeed... and there was a chance he was going to have to struggle even more to keep thing as they are now. Igor's words continuously played in the back of his mind as his eyes were drawn towards the window, to the passing cars and their passengers. Several faces he saw held not a single care in the world, some barely even needing to acknowledge the world beyond the screens of their phones or games consoles. Futaba would be right at home like that.

The Velvet Room had been the starting point of his strange, strange adventure into the supernatural, into becoming a thief and eventually saving the world through his actions, on Christmas day no less. If the master of that room was claiming that there would be a conflict in the future, then Ren saw little reason to ignore the warning. If he was going to get himself involved however, that would mean they would be put under potential threat – Haru would be put under potential threat.

That was not to say that Haru wasn't in a position to defend herself mentally or physically. No, far from it, if there was anyone he could trust to have his back, then it was Haru. But there was a difference between the Metaverse and reality; their guns were no more than models in the normal world, their incredible acrobatic abilities merely figments of their imagination and their weapons no more than toys. They were going to be starting a café for heaven's sake; a knife might be fine, but questions would immediately be raised if they were found a pistol, axe and a grenade launcher in their possession. Either the battle would be occurring within something similar to the Metaverse, or Ren was going to have to get seriously creative.

The black-haired boy wasn't exactly ignorant of the fact that he hadn't been told when this trouble was going to arrive either. While it was most likely going to sooner rather than later, Ren didn't exactly have the time to prepare himself if there just so happened to be strife waiting for him at the front door. There was little that could be used as a weapon against anyone in the limousine and he highly doubted the chauffeur had enough training to deal with some of the things they had witnessed throughout their time as thieves. Heh, now he had the image of the man trying to ram the limousine into a shadow.

They had done that many a time with the Morgana-bus.

Right, time to make a list. Ren would have to try and re-establish some of the connections he had formed to help him on his journey - he had been extremely lucky to chance upon the people he did, someone who was willing to do his minor work while he dealt with more important matters, someone who was able to supply him with weapons that became real once they entered the world of cognition, a doctor who could supply them with drugs, the list carried on and the chances of him being able to meet that strange assortment of people again was incredibly slim.

And his personas... their voices once filled his head, yet they remained dormant, ever slumbering since the time he believed his battle was over. Those parts of him he once faced without hesitation, a part of Ren paused at the thought of bringing them forth again. Would they feel anger at being suppressed as they had? Would they continue to listen to his desires of would they return to their shadow-like form, removing themselves from the sea of souls that existed within him? Was such a thing even possible? Then again, they were capable of things beyond humanity and they managed to survive, somewhat, the horrible tortures that were inflicted upon them to grow into something greater. Cute as Caroline and Justine were as they were acting as wardens, the methods they used were incredibly brutal and yet the personas only gained in strength. That they were a part of him was something Ren was still trying to comprehend.

No matter what, it was going to be a struggle trying to keep the whole thing away from them. The easiest thing to do was simply tell them, tell them everything he knew so far so they could prepare their weapons and be ready for when the time came; it was what the rational side of his mind wanted to do. But he couldn't simply make himself do so, not when they were left so content with the life they had now.

The sudden screech of brakes rang out as the entire vehicle began to tremble, a frightened noise escaping Morgana as he finally let himself fall into Haru's hands. None of them were too shaken by the ordeal, they had met far worse surprises in their lives than a sudden stop, but what they heard from the chauffeur was strange.

"There's been a crash dead ahead of us! Several explosions…" was all the man managed to get out before a strangled gasp escaped him, Ren immediately moving forward to look out of the man's window. Sure enough, the smoke of several damaged cars began to fill the air before them, but before he could take note of anything else, a horn was heard, a flash of bright light was seen and then ultimately, the world faded to black.

* * *

Under normal circumstances, such a strange event would've never occurred; the amount of chaos and destruction that happened upon that road that day was not by any means an ordinary crash. Strangely enough, when the police arrived as fast as they possibly could after being notified, they wouldn't be able to find a proper reason as to why the crash occurred. When they came to question the people involved in the accident, they would each claim there was simply a sudden explosion out of nowhere and they lost control.

It would be noted that one of the victims within the accident was one Haru Okumura, a relatively important figure due to her connection to Okumura Foods. As soon as that was discovered, she was immediately whisked off along with the others in her vehicle to receive the best treatment they could afford – having a person like that ignored was something that they didn't want to do that day. With a special order, they were the first load entered into the ambulances, heading off for Kuoh Hospital as fast as possible.

A single soul lamented what happened from her position, flipping back the hairs that were blown back by the explosion. The dirt marred her dress and skin, it would be a horror to wash up.

"This journey might be somewhat harder than I expected it to be…"


	2. A new velvet room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On powers returned and lives lost.

A low groan escaped Ren as he opened his eyes, greeted by the horrid whiteness of the hospital. Pushing the blankets off his body, the black-haired boy sighed. Far from the looks of it, his injuries weren't too great; they had only been towards the edge of the explosion, meaning little of the effect was felt comparatively.

But if he was here, then that meant… what about the man who had been driving the limousine for them? What about Morgana? He was smaller, any damage he sustained would be much more of an issue than their human bodies. And Haru…

As soon as her face popped into her mind, Ren immediately leapt out of the bed, only slightly wincing at the sensation of moving his muscles before he was making his way towards the door. Before he could reach for the handle, however, it suddenly moved of its own accord, swinging open to reveal a doctor that quickly backed away at Ren's concerned face.

"Ah, my apologies! I didn't expect you to be moving so quickly." The doctor immediately said, stepping back into the room and shutting the door. "I'm assuming that you're looking for Miss Okumura, yes? You were, after all, travelling with her when the unfortunate incident occurred."

"…Yes. Can I see her now?" it was phrased as a polite question, but the slight bite to it was felt by the doctor, who could only give an awkward chuckle as he looked to the clipboard in his hands.

"Well, I'll just need to check you over, even after a couple days' rest, you're probably still feeling the… effects…" but then the man's voice grew sleepy, the light leaving his eyes as he took another look at his clipboard, scratching some notes down on the paper as he continued in the drowsy tone. "However, I'm sure you will be fine, the others are fine and you can even go today. I'll show you to Miss Okumura's room right now…"

Ren wasn't wrong to be suspicious of such a quick change, but he was going to take advantage of it regardless. Though his voice may have grown sleepier, the doctor led the way through the unfamiliar halls with the confidence one well versed in the building should have, either a brilliant mask to hide his strange mood or further evidence to his puppet-like acting.

"Miss Okumura had to undergo a little bit more work to get her to full health, but she's almost completely a clean bill. Well enough to carry on with your journey at least." The doctor muttered, opening the door for Ren to enter, the boy's eyes immediately locking onto the curls of soft brown on the bed that moved with the sound of the door. "I'll just go get the paperwork sorted out and you should be ready to leave. I'll leave you two to reacquaint yourselves…"

"Ren, is that you?" and with those words alone, Ren was immediately by her bedside, clutching her hand gently as the girl eased herself upward, a hand reaching to her forehead. "Ah, my head… it feels like after we went on that horrible Mementos trip."

"My apologies. Though I have tried to further the healing process, I did not want to make it seem too unrealistic to those watching." Haru let out a small gasp at the sudden intruding voice, but Ren merely gave a low sigh, turning slowly to Lavenza as the small girl tilted her head. "Was that not required? My apologies, but I thought you would not want to be so delayed in your journey."

"What are you doing here, you should be in the… Velvet Room…" Ren began, only to tail off as he remembered just who was in control of that very room. So that was what the man was planning. Well, there went his attempt to keep this whole thing a secret down the drain. Haru, completely unaware of Ren's thoughts though, could only look closer upon Lavenza's body, the spark of recognition entering her eyes.

"Ah, you're that girl from that strange place… um…"

"Lavenza, a pleasure to make your acquaintance once more, Haru Okumura," Lavenza answered smoothly, complete with a curtsey. "Now that the doctor is working towards your freedom, allow me to complete your healing. It wouldn't do to have done this much, only for you to be told to stay. Hypnotism is such an awkward practice."

The casual way in which Lavenza spoke about doing such things… but they never got anywhere without making a couple of questionable choices, Ren could grill her later when they got out of the hospital. Fortunately, the paperwork went perfectly fine and they were simply told to take it easy now that their wounds were healed.

"It feels as if I haven't even been touched. This is wonderful!" Haru remarked as they exited the hospital doors, the bright city of Kuoh greeting their eyes. Well, from their position it looked like every other city one could imagine, but this was where they were making a new start – nothing wrong with romanticising it a bit. "I haven't felt like this for so long... but I thought you were meant to disappear after our battle? Was that not what we were told?"

"The presence of my master and myself indeed disappeared to you. After all, your presence within the Velvet Room was only temporary, dependent upon the dire situation the establishment had been put under." Lavenza explained, her voice struggling over the word 'dire'. After all, she was meant to be the assistant to Igor and unlike the siblings she had occasionally spoken of while still in her separated form, she had been the one to let her master be defeated and locked away, forcibly split so she couldn't interfere. That was bound to be a sore spot for anyone unfortunate enough to end up in that situation. "However, should our guest continue his journey, then we are honour bound by contract to allow him our services still. That is what would occur under normal circumstances, however… the master has deemed it suitable for me to take up my own journey. For what reason I do not know…"

"My… how cute!" Haru may have been whispering the words to Ren, but that didn't mean they managed to escape the ears of Lavenza, the girl's pout at her master's decision only growing even larger. With a quick cough, however, the Velvet Room assistant had her composure returned to her.

"Now, seeing as you're already here in Kuoh, I have sought to it that the man who drove you here has been safely returned to his home. Naturally, he has left the limousine for your personal use after repairs, taking a rented car home." The blonde-haired girl stated, Ren merely massaging his temple with a weary sigh. This was not how this day was meant to be going at all. Wait, scrap that, not how this week was meant to be going because they had been involved in a car crash. Lovely.

"How much have you done while we were unconscious?" Ren questioned aloud. It was meant to be a rhetorical sort of question, yet it had escaped his lips and now Lavenza was glaring at him. "No offence or anything, but you didn't have to do any of this. Why?"

"I did not ask to go on this journey! I know it is something I must do, it is something that my sisters have done… but the prospect of it is frightening. Like a bird who has lived its life within a cage suddenly set free…" Lavenza spat out, her eyes diverting to the ground as her composure broke once more. "I was born to assist the guest that was assigned to me, that's the only thing I know. My sisters, they have found the reason to go on their journeys, this was so suddenly thrust upon me. Assisting is all I can do, it's all I know."

The defensive tone remained throughout all of her words, hitting Ren like a freight truck, like the explosion that had wrecked their vehicle. Sure, he didn't know a lot about Caroline and Justine and knew even less about Lavenza, but if there was something that had been present no matter the situation, it was that they always showed their confidence. The only time it ever faltered was when Caroline and Justine were trying to learn the origin of their list and when they learnt their true forms. It was a sign of just how out of her comfort zone the girl was.

"… Don't worry about it. Just, we're going to have a talk later… all of us, later. Where's Morgana?" Ren's question was met with the cat leaping down from the treeline, stretching his body out as he landed within Lavenza's arms. Unlike under a teasing Haru's assault, Morgana looked much more at home within the assistant's grasp; they were both created to serve under Igor, there was a sense of kinship that the others would never reach. Ren was the closest to maybe even trying to reach that stage and he and Morgana were pretty close.

"I thought it would take more than just a car crash to bring someone like you down Joker!" Morgana remarked as he let loose with a cat-like snicker. Did cats snicker? Ren never had a pet when he was young and Morgana wasn't exactly the best example one could use when learning about how a cat should behave. "While you two have been having your unpleasant nap, I've been browsing the area. I'll tell you, there's some really weird feeling about the place, like there's something bad hiding in the shadows. No clue what it is yet though."

That was… reassuring. Was reassuring the word? No, it was slightly terrifying. With the crash and Lavenza's arrival, this was the third sign that something bad was coming sooner than later and he still didn't have a goddamn gun or a knife. Oh god, that brought another thought to his mind – was Lavenza able to defend herself?

It was something that was meant to be a no-brainer, when split apart as Caroline and Justine, the assistant(s) had managed to completely wipe the floor with him before he eventually grew strong enough to match their strength and together, that power was unlikely to have faded. However, a lot of that strength could be attributed to the inherent power and potential held by personas, the very personas that he had collected and fused to accomplish the list set out by the twin wardens. In the real world, where the power of persona could not be called upon, where the sea of souls was simply a distant thought unable to be accessed, how much strength did that leave the girl? Ren could safely say that the physical training they went through had made the Phantom Thieves stronger with time, but the Velvet Room didn't exactly look like the kind of place where exercise was encouraged. Hypnosis and healing were only worth so much.

Had he ever seen either Igor move beyond the original returning to take his seat after the false Igor was removed?

Now Ren was just getting off track.

"Something in the shadows?" Haru questioned, looking to the lost in thought Ren with a small frown before it was quickly replaced by the girl's typical genial look. "Well, if I recall correctly, then the café shouldn't be too far from this location. How about we go there first and then you can tell us more about this? Lavenza, please feel free to come with us too. We need to thank you for everything you've done as well."

The building that Haru had managed to purchase was of exceptional quality. With a fairly large budget and a good eye for potential, the girl had managed to procure a wonderful place for relatively cheap (relatively, considering that if it weren't for the fact that Haru was purchasing it, Ren would never even be able to dream of buying it himself). Sitting down at the counter, Ren immediately moving behind it with the others facing him, the black-haired boy gave a small sigh. Here come the questions.

"…And you weren't planning on telling me." Sickly sweet, it wasn't a question – it didn't need to be a question because Haru already knew the answer, which was why her hands were already tightening beyond words around her teacup. The smile she gave showed far too many teeth for Ren's liking, the boy shrinking away slightly. "I could understand the others, perhaps. They've managed to make lives for themselves. But I'm your girlfriend, am I not? Do I not deserve to know this sort of thing?"

"Hey, Haru? Don't you think you're focusing on the wrong thing?" Morgana interrupted, only to jump back into the safety of Lavenza's grasp when those cold hard eyes focused upon him. "Um, never mind! Carry on!"

Ren's answer came in the form of a hand upon her own. The frigid chill of her glare almost immediately softened under his touch, a trait the boy was incredibly thankful to whichever creator that brought Haru into this world that she was relatively easy to calm down once she got riled up, at least with him. If it weren't for that, Ren would probably be dead several times over.

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you. This café is your dream, and you already have people trying to mess it up." The black-haired boy remarked, bringing their joined hands up to his lips so he could plant a kiss on the back of Haru's hands. "If you had to worry about this as well, I felt like it would be too much on your shoulders. I would deal with the stuff in the shadows and you could work on making this café as great as possible and get your chain off the ground."

"…Ren…You truly care for me too much." Haru eventually muttered. "But I would be remiss if I weren't by your side with this kind of thing happening. It doesn't matter if we don't have access to our personas or not, if there's something that you have to face, we'll face it together. That's how the Phantom Thieves operated and that's how we'll do it going forward, correct?"

"Count me in too! I may not look like much when I'm in this form, but I'm still the great Mona who fought alongside you!" the cat declared emphatically, leaping onto the counter between them and posing dramatically. "We're partners through and through, even if I don't have opposable thumbs."

"I assume then that you will all be joining the Trickster on his journey then?" Lavenza concluded with a brief nod, opening her Grimoire and taking note of the contents within. "Excellent. Then I am at liberty to tell you that your items are upstairs with all that I may supply you with. While it was tedious, I have at least managed to attain the utmost necessities to get you started. Morgana, you may remain with me and I'll help you get resituated."

What? Upstairs? Ah, they had left the hospital without any cases! His instincts must've been dropping if he managed to do not notice that fact, but his attention had been so focused on Haru… with a brief nod to one another, the pair moved towards the staircase to the back of the establishment, passing through the door and heading up the stairs to where the rest of the facilities were. A quick exploration revealed that only one of the bedrooms held both of their belongings, a fact that brought a healthy blush to Haru's face when she understood the implication.

"Huh," Ren muttered as he opened his own case, pulling out the dark garments held within, garments that he most certainly hadn't packed himself. His thief outfit, a costume that had only ever materialised under the influence of the collective subconscious, it was sat there right before him along with a model pistol and simple dagger. When Haru pulled out her outfit, a toy grenade launcher, and looked to the corner where a fake axe sat, she suddenly gained a rather beautiful smile herself. "But they're still models and toys. We can't do much with this alone."

"Then we should go back and speak with Lavenza?" Haru's suggestion was all they had to go on and so the two returned to the front of the café, only to be met with a rather strange sight. The door looked like any other in the building, except now the keyhole was glowing with royal blue power, wisps of energy flying off the small hole. Haru let out a gasp – it was unlike anything she had ever seen, yet she couldn't help but admire the glow it gave. "This door is meant to be the storage room… Ren, do you know what it is?"

His answer didn't come with words. Instead, the boy reached into his pocket, drawing out a simple item that to the common man, wouldn't look out of place at all. A single dull key, a key that held far more sentimental value than many of the things he owned. After all, it was the key to the cell that once held Ren captive for so long, a key that was meant to be given to him from his very first visit, yet came to be a symbol of what he thought was their final meeting. Ren had kept it with him ever since.

In the presence of the keyhole however, what once was dull metal soon grew to become a matching royal blue, the key humming melodiously as Ren held it forth. Before the two could actually meet, however, a beam of light shot from the key into the hole, the light spreading like veins across the wood until the entire thing had morphed from the simple entrance it once was. Now taking on a far more elegant form, a smirk appeared on Ren's face as he took a grip of the handle, slipping his hand into Haru's as he wrenched the whole thing open and strode in without hesitation. Haru could only let out a cry of surprise and cover her eyes.

He didn't need someone kicking him in this time.

* * *

"To one, welcome to the Velvet Room. This is a place that resides between dream and reality, mind and matter. To the other, a fond 'welcome back.' I do hope you don't mind the new décor. It was, after all, you who brought it to fruition."

This was not the prison that Ren had come to know as the Velvet Room. No longer was it a dreary place surrounded by cells, the master sitting before his trapped prisoner. Instead, the entire area had completely transformed into a lavish throne room, complete with dark navy suits of armour at the sides baring their blades. A pair of thrones sat at what was meant to be the head of the room, the orate seats upon a pedestal, yet Igor and his desk were positioned at the foot of them.

"Lavenza was naturally at the side of her master, but it was the creature that was beside them that drew both Ren and Haru's attention more than the decorations or the fact that they appeared in their thief costumes; the room was something beyond their comprehension and it had already shown them that such things as garment changing and location morphing were possible. What they saw before them…

"Hey guys. Guess who's back?"

"Morgana? But…" Haru began, only to tail off when the Metaverse form of Morgana stood before them, a grin adorning his bulbous head as the cat dramatically posed. "So when we thought Mementos disappeared, then-!"

"Incorrect, unlike we who exist beyond the Metaverse, the form of the corrupted Humanity's subconscious has been destroyed. However, while Morgana was most commonly seen in this form within the Metaverse, he is still a being of my creation." Igor stated, gesturing casually to where Morgana triumphantly nodded. "Therefore, seeing as there's a reason for his secondary form to exist, I have granted him usage of a… more combat-ready form. I must say, Trickster, you do have rather strange tastes. Please, take a look out of the window."

Absolute unending darkness. It seemed like it would swallow your hand if you so much as stuck a finger out to reach for it. The existence of such a pure abyss seemed impossible – not even space could reach such a state and yet it covered the entirety of what Ren could see through the glass, only the lights of the Velvet Room itself keeping the place lit.

"No longer is your desire to break free of the chains society once placed upon you. Against a false god, you have already proved yourself superior and have earnt the peace you've experienced so far; you can live in your fairy-tale as the ruler of your own life alongside your dearest queen." When Igor pointed looked towards Noir, the girl could only turn away with reddening cheeks, pushing her fingers together.

"Um, but Makoto was Queen…" Noir sheepishly corrected, eliciting nothing other than a chuckle from Igor.

"My deepest apologies for the misunderstanding, but the point still stands." He replied. "However, there are dark forces that are trying to ruin your peace, yet if you would have your desire, you would remain with your head in the sand. Now though, you are prepared to fight. No longer are you Marie Antoinette, but William the Conqueror! As a reward for your decision to fight against the evil that will soon bang upon your front gates, I gift you with these badges. They shall serve to replicate the power of Metaverse within the real world."

"How does that even work?" Ren couldn't help but ask as the small red navy badge floated into his hand, Haru reaching out to grab her own. Naturally, they were styled after the logo the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had used, quickly finding a place upon their lapels. The question brought a bright grin to Igor's face, one that perhaps held a little more arrogance than the man really should've shown.

"While my master may not be entirely on the same level as the false God you fought, he and I were caught off guard when he intruded upon the Velvet room – there are few things that false god could do that my master cannot. Bringing his own influence upon the conscious world is simple." Lavenza explained.

"So long as they remain upon your lapels, you will have access to the power you once commanded. Whether that be weapons born from toys, the acrobatic skills you gained upon your journey or indeed, the personas you have fought alongside." Igor continued, turning his eyes upon Haru. "Once more, the power of both Milady and Astarte will be yours to call upon. However… the sheer number of personas held within your mind, trickster, is not something so easily restored. Should you be able to coax them out from your sea of souls, then they will all eventually return to you. Should you struggle to do that, however, the Velvet Room naturally offers all services you previously had access to."

At the man's words, a stabbing pain ripped into Joker's skull, the boy grabbing the sides of his head as it pulsed with pain quickly followed by Noir as she collapsed alongside her boyfriend. Unnoticed by the struggling thieves, yet easily heard by the others, an intense banging could be heard from the doors of the castle-like Velvet room, strange moans heard from the darkness seeping through the windows. Lavenza looked out of the window, only to give a confused hum when she caught sight of those burning red eyes. Joker's attention however remained solely upon the deep booming voice that invaded his skull, burning red eyes of his own glaring at him from the sea of souls.

**_"Regained your resolutions have you? It is reassuring that you haven't forsaken that which you alone are capable of achieving._**

**_Very well! I shall heed your request once more. Let us renew our vow._ **

**_I am thou, thou art I… thou, who art the trickster who called for justice through unjust acts, call upon mu name once more! Release the rage thou hath built and show me the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own!_ **

**_The chains of hell will no longer hold you!"_ **

"Arsene!"

**_"Your smile is betraying, is it not princess? So many who appear to be on your side, yet work towards your downfall… how long have you wished to see them fall?_ **

**_If you still desire the freedom you fought for before, then know who you must be loyal to and who must be betrayed. Let us vow once more._ **

**_I am thou, thou art I… let your gaze be unerring as you yearn to keep the freedom you now hold! No matter who stands in your way, they shall fall in the face of your beautiful duplicity!_ **

**_Those sick creatures have betrayed you for their own benefit, surely it is reasonable to betray them back?"_ **

"Milady…!"

Joker found his body wreathed with flames as the wicked visage of the most famous phantom thief in all literature burst to life, slowly rising from the growing fires that emanated from his mask. The familiar weight of his persona's chains landed upon his limbs, like a puppet handing over his strings to be controlled as a brilliant red suit formed along with a giant top hat. A grin appeared upon Joker's face. Yes… Arsene had said he would never leave him. A demonic phantom thief's laughter filled the air as Arsene flared out his black feathered wings, one of the oldest and reliable personas Joker could call upon.

At the same time, the fire that burst forth around Noir's eyes began to travel behind her, swirling in an elegant tornado before a massive ball gown like dress of pink and black formed, a slender and full corset ending in quite literally nothing save for a masquerade mask held where her face would be by pink gloved hands, the other wielding a fan. Milady de Winter, the beautiful betrayer of Dumas' Three Musketeers, let out a haughty laugh.

Mona needed no assistance to call upon his persona once more, his existence in his thief form being enough to call upon the legendary warrior. A silver armoured warrior of incredible bulk formed behind the cat, wielding a rapier that carved his legendary Z with but a single swift movement. A large cap fluttered behind him as the man corrected the incredibly ornate belt at his waist. Don Diego de la Vega, Zorro, was called forth once more.

Joker, Mona and Noir shared a look as the personas faded away to the sound of Igor's small applause, only to turn around to where the doors were; still, the odd banging continued, the red eyes peering through the darkness, formless, yet ever reaching to try and enter the castle.

"Though the world has been reshaped, that does not mean that the new world will be completely free of the taint that plagues humanity. Only through the power of your bonds can you hold onto the potential that your actions have gifted upon the earth, an earth where humanity may not be held captive by higher powers." Igor declared. "Let not thou fall and lose thy noble life. The heroes shall withstand the weight of their own justice, though their story reacheth not the ears of the people. The torch of courage that hath been rekindled shalt not be extinguished by tainted winds."

"Now that you have been gifted these, you are fully able to utilise your abilities to the fullest in the real world. Trickster, seeing as you have only awoken one persona at this time, I believe this is the end of our business within the Velvet Room. Let us return."

A flash of blue light and they fell into blissful unconsciousness briefly.

* * *

Once their eyes open again, they were no longer with the castle walls that formed the new Velvet Room, returned to the café that they were before, Morgana lazily lying upon the counter while Lavenza sipped from a cup of similar colour to her dress.

"So we have our personae back. The fact that we might need them though… that worries me. What are we facing?" Haru muttered, looking out to the setting sun outside the door of the building. Its beautiful orange tones coloured the sky, pathing the way for the night to take control. Considering how the light of day would soon fade away, there was little reason to start setting up the place. To Ren, that meant there was only one choice.

"Do you want to go out for a little night stroll later then? Perhaps we might find out." The black-haired boy suggested, throwing up the tiny badge held within his hands and catching it with a tight fist. "Call it a date."

"Oh, Ren… you really need to learn some better date locations." Haru jokingly sighed with fake exasperation, only receiving an unrepentant shrug in return.

"What can I say? Call this scouting for a nice restaurant or something. If we just so happen to come across some sort of inexplicable evil along the way, then that's just life." The leader of the Phantom Thieves replied with a stuck-out tongue.

"I wonder whether it would be worth the effort to get them to take the situation at hand far more seriously… but I suppose that is simply how hearts of their kind operate, is it not?" Lavenza gently whispered to Morgana as the assistant watched the banter flow back and forth. "Never a single care save for their own and that of their friends, even in the face of oblivion. Such courage could be called foolishness in some scenarios. I wonder if this is one of them…

* * *

On a cloudless night, the full moon shined down upon a sleepy Kuoh, people either making their way home after a busy day at work or already planted upon their sofas or in their beds as they went about their normal night activities. A quartet in one unnamed café yet to open too were following what would rapidly become their nightly routine, though perhaps it wasn't the same as what other people would typically be spending their time doing.

"Are you sure you want to come too Lavenza? We might get a little crazy with the parkour out there, can you handle that sort of thing?" Ren asked as he slipped on his waistcoat, the garbs feeling almost nostalgic as he put them on. After retiring them for so long, wearing them in both the Velvet room and now as real-world clothing was making him remember why this was his favoured outfit. The response was merely a giggle as Le Grimoire snapped shut, a devilish twinkle entering those unnaturally golden eyes.

"You forget, the same being that forged your powers forged my very being. No matter the challenge that you face, I shall be at your side the whole time my trickster." The little girl clarified, her words growing tender towards the end. There was a chance that it was that very tone that caused a small hint of distaste to appear upon Haru's lip, only to disappear when Ren's eyes fell upon her again.

"Haru… you look positively ravishing, Noir."

"And you the same Joker." The two placed on their masks at the same time, placing the hat-shaped badge upon their lapels. Immediately, a flush of power began to rush through their bodies, the indescribable sensation of the powers known as curse and psy passing through their very veins. Now it felt they could take on Mementos again; given some time, they would be able to. As they took hold of their weapons, Noir's armaments magically disappearing to wherever the girl managed to store them (Joker had contemplated asking where exactly they went, but most likely it was one of those mysteries that he was never meant to learn as a man), they went down the stairs to see Mona standing ready upon one of the counter's chairs.

"It may not be all of us, but the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are back in action!" Mona emphatically declared with a fist in the air, lowering it slightly as the cat turned to his leader. "Are you sure you don't want to call upon the others Joker? They wouldn't say no, you know that."

"Ryuji and Ann have their life together, Futaba's happy with her schoolmate, Yusuke's making a grand living and Makoto's got University. If it comes down to it, we'll give them a call, but now we can do this without them." Joker concluded, tugging at his gloves. "No real objective for tonight – we're just going to take a look around, search for good vantage spots and viewpoints and see if we can get any preliminary looks at some strange things going on in this city."

Fortunately, no windows with their curtains opened happened to face the roof of the café, a window opening at the front o let a quartet of shadows slip on top and head off in a random direction, the public none the wiser to the revival of a group once thought finished. Flashes of them could barely be seen upon the roofs as they skipped around the city of Kuoh, letting out cries of laughter and teasing one another; this wasn't just a city of danger to them. They were phantom thieves after all; this was their playground and they were experimenting with all of the toys placed before them.

"Ooh, that park looks nice. Maybe we should have a picnic at some time." Noir suggested as they made their way towards the centre of the city, met with a peaceful, near-silent park - an oasis of green between all of the buildings. Upon a summer's day, it would be the perfect place to relax and unwind; upon a winter's day, it would be the perfect place to take in the frosty elegance and contemplate. Apparently, a young pair of teens were planning to take advantage of the peacefulness of the area by having a small chat by the fountain, the only ones they were aware of being there being themselves.

"Thanks for the brilliant date Issei. You were so sweet!" the girl of the pair remarked with a cute smile, the brunette facing her rubbing the back of his head with a bright grin, a blush colouring his face.

"Well, I wouldn't have tried if I really didn't like you Yuuma," Issei replied, his blush only growing at the giggle that filled the air something felt off about it, however, a strange feeling running down his spine.

"Noir, Mona, Butterfly, do you feel that?" the leader of the Phantom Thieves questioned near silently, Noir and Mona giving a quick nod. Lavenza, however, gave a small blink of confusion.

"Butterfly? Is that meant to be referring to me?" the Velvet assistant questioned, only for a finger to reach Joker's lips. That same strange feeling suddenly permeated the very air, a flash of yellow entering pink eyes for the briefest moment as the whole world morphed for a second. For one moment, they had left the real world and entered a completely different realm, one that Joker didn't want to feel so soon.

"Okay then. Do you want to know what would make my night though?" the girl suggested, slipping closer and closer to Issei as the boy began to lose his composure. It felt like a scene out of some sort of romance anime, the girl coming in for a kiss, and Issei was not prepared for this.

"What...?"

"Will you die for me?"


	3. What wonderful tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the mystical and the mysterious.

It was like watching a shadow reveal their monstrous form within their palace; before Issei's horrified eyes, a pair of black feathered wings burst from the back of the girl as her clothes practically disintegrated, leaving only a wicked-looking black bikini that covered barely anything. Joker looked upward as the sky was suddenly tinged with a purplish hue. A similarly coloured energy formed within her hand, taking the guise of a long spear as a sneer appeared upon once innocent-looking lips. If it weren't for the fact that her eyes remained the same colour rather than reverting into a bright yellow, Joker would've thought that a shadow had somehow managed to make it into the real world.

"Although it was kinda short-lived, messing about with you was almost fun. Playing so innocent, lovey-dovey all day… well, I'll be keeping the gift at least. It does look nice on me, don't you think?" the transformed Yuuma remarked casually, as if her death threat or strange new form meant absolutely nothing. "Well then, Issei… please die for me."

But then a flash of pink before the girl's eyes meant that her spear hit nothing but the dead earth, the ground splintering from the sheer force of her strike. With an angered grunt, Yuuma combed through the area, yet was met with not a single silhouette in sight. That was how it was _meant_ to be, no one able to break through the barrier she had placed over the entire park, and yet…

"A shame. I was pretty sure the area was empty when I placed the barrier…" Yuuma lamented with a small shrug, letting the spear dissolve into particles of light within the ground while her other hand formed yet another without a single moment of struggle. "So, who's acting as the hero this time? One of those devils? A stray perhaps? You do know whose territory this is, right?"

"I'm afraid I never really cared for 'territory' ownership. You can claim something as yours, but that doesn't mean anything unless you have the papers to prove it." Came a cocky voice from the shadows. A small, near-silent sigh escaped Yuuma. She had hoped they would be arrogant enough to reveal themselves or at least let their position away by the direction of their voice, but it seemed to come from all directions at once. She was dealing with someone more skilled than she first believed. At least they weren't a member of the devils who owned the city however; now she could simply say that she was attacked and dealing with the consequences – Issei was merely caught in the middle. "Something about this makes me feel as if this isn't your territory either though. Care to explain?"

Joker was playing for time and information; Noir had managed to get the boy to a safer location, but who knows if those wings were for show or not? Until he was clear entirely, he was a potential casualty and they definitely didn't need one of those so soon to their arrival.

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts required a better reintroduction that that.

" _It's weird… that girl, Yuuma, she isn't anything like a shadow, but she's able to do this freaky stuff…"_ Mona muttered from their hiding spot as the girl shot her spear through the foliage, a random shot trying to locate the source of Joker's voice seeing as it missed by a mile. _"Any ideas, miss 'Butterfly'?"_

" _I have my beliefs and suspicions, but I have yet to confirm them. Whatever she might be, take caution in your actions."_ Lavenza whispered in reply, Joker giving a curt nod. From the looks of things, he was going to get an answer pretty soon. Whether it was the answer he wanted was another thing – just a few more minutes and there was no way that boy Issei could still be in the park…

"Well, if you're not going to reveal yourself… I'll just have to burn down this entire park!" the girl cackled, a flurry of spears forming around her as the Phantoms' eyes widened. With a rapid jump, four shadowy figures revealed themselves as every single square inch around them was positively skewered, the energy quickly dissolving to reveal the multitude of holes left in the ground and surrounding area. Yuuma was left panting slightly, the amount of energy required to perform such a feat being no small amount, but it accomplished its purpose – they had been flushed out and now they were in the open. "Oh, so there were more than one of you? Simply more sheep to the slaughter. Try not to blame me for this – if there is anyone you should blame, blame yourselves for getting yourself involved with that kid and the God that decided to make him so special."

"I think that's where you're going wrong." Joker corrected, letting his coat sway in the wind as he turned to face the transformed girl, Noir and Lavenza placing themselves at his side as a smirk made its way onto his lips. "We don't need to blame anyone – after all, if you're asking who we're going to blame for us dying, then you're going to have to wait a long time. It's either old age or nothing."

"Such cocky words. Is this because you think your numbers make you in any way superior? Came the haughty reply, a single flick of her fingers producing yet another one of those pink energy spears. The longer they kept talking, the more time she had to recharge her energy as well as spill her info. It was a risk-reward system and so far, it seemed as if they were on the losing side, Yuuma was being particularly tight-lipped. "You better have something to back those words up. If you're just going to squirm around now until you die, your final words will be rather embarrassing!"

She struck forth, only for the tip of her blade to be deflected off the edge of a dagger, the red gloved hand holding it only using a small flick to redirect her attack over Joker's shoulder. With the spear now flying harmlessly over, Noir took a grip of it and hung on tight, the shock of her strike missing meaning that Yuuma was still gripping onto the weapon. By the time she got her grips again, Joker was already stabbing forward, only the smallest second gap between her moving slightly and the knife stabbing into the air Yuuma once occupied.

In a split second, Yuuma released the spear, letting it dissolve as two more appeared in her hands. A rapid tilt of her head allowed her to avoid the grenade shot that would've vaporised her, Noir letting out a small tut as both Lavenza and Joker found their weapons fended off by the two spears of light. Spinning around allowed the girl to narrowly avoid the flames that shot forth from the book held in Lavenza's hand, only to be forced back by a tackle from Joker.

"I'll admit, you have more skill than I expected…" Yuuma tutted, brushing herself off as she stretched her arms, the movements emphasising her chest. Part of Joker wanted to cover Lavenza's eyes; this wasn't exactly something for children to see. Then again. Lavenza wasn't a child – what exactly she _was_ wasn't clear, but the point still stood. "Everything about you screams human, are you Sacred Gear users perhaps? No, there's something more to you…"

The way that Yuuma looked at Lavenza made the small girl uneasy, though she tried her best to hide the discomfort. The slight movements, however, were more than enough to show how Lavenza felt, a smirk appearing upon Yuuma's face as she flared out her wings.

"Nice to see I hit the nail on the head. Maybe rather than killing you, I can take you back to Azazel!" the transformed girl declared, taking a step forward. Only a single step, because a projectile striking here from behind caused Yuuma to whirl around to the treetops, Morgan a letting agent small cackle as he lowered his slingshot. "Annoying familiar..."

"Come on, you couldn't think about fighting without me, right?" Morgan and tutted as he prepped another shot, the shot deflected by another of those cursed light spears that Yuuma was so fond of. Unlike a normal gun, each shot required time to prepare, giving a much wider window for defending against the shots, but it meant that Yuuma was left to defend herself from the three others with but a single hand. "Joker, now!"

A pistol that Yuuma didn't know about suddenly appeared in her vision, a pair of rapid triggers resulting in new holes where her kneecaps were meant to be. A scream was stifled out of pride, the girl falling to the ground while trying to cover up the bleeding wounds. With Mona grabbing a hold of one of the wings upon her back and Lavenza taking the other, Joker and Noir were free to point their ranged weapons towards their new hostage.

"I think it's time to do a little bit of talking. Joker began, crouching down to eye level with the girl, the barrel of the pistol never leaving her heart as he did so. "How about we start light? After all, that name of yours… it isn't real. Care to tell me more?"

"Do you really think someone like you could ever hope to interrogate me?" came the scathing reply, Joker wiping the spit that had flown onto his shoes, firing a shot right before her still bleeding knees. "Intimidation like that is useless!"

"Why? Is it just because you're a little crow trying to look like a strong predator?" Joker snarked back, casually motioning to where Noir held her grenade launcher directly towards her. With the distance they were apart, the only ones who were in trouble of getting hit were Lavenza and Mona, but this wasn't the first time they had done such a set up (though without Lavenza); they had their ways of making sure they got out of this unharmed. "If you make a wrong answer, Noir here's in the perfect position to positively _melt_ you, crow."

"I am a proud Fallen Angel! I am no _crow_!"

"Ah, so a person of pride I take it, good to know." The smirk on Joker's face grew when he caught the girl grinding her teeth together, well, more than she had been doing before with the pain that was most likely pulsing through her legs. A fallen angel… they had certainly met creatures like that in Mementos, the shadows of humanity's subconscious containing more than a few strange creatures, but knowing they had somehow managed to appear in the real world as well… that was the complete opposite to reassuring. "Now, that name of yours?"

"…Raynare."

"Nice girl. Now, you mentioned something about Sacred gears before?" Joker prompted, receiving a risen eyebrow from the newly renamed Raynare. "I'm assuming if you thought we had some and were willing to kill us, then Issei had to have one too. You were talking about a date?"

She tried to fight free, she did, but by the time that a few bullets entered her wings, wings so delicate to the touch that something as harsh as a bullet from a pistol hurt all the more. Wings were marks of powers in the supernatural world; though joker didn't know it, he did one of the most horrible things he could've done as with his knife, he stabbed into the base of one of those wings.

"Look, I'm not a killer, none of us are, so if you could just come along quietly, we can get this all over and done with and get back home in time for tea." His voice was no more than a deathly whisper, but through the pain, Raynare was listening intently with wide eyes – the pain was immeasurable and though the threat didn't have to be said, Joker still voiced it. "Give us the answers we want or this knife is going to take one of your wings off you. I don't need to be a killer to make you _suffer._ "

"Sacred Gears, they're gifts from God to humanity. Incredible weapons, powerful abilities. They say that some can even kill a God." Raynare eventually broke, the feeling of metal in her wings shattering whatever reservations she had. "Issei Hyoudou, we were told to tail him and keep an eye on him, he has a sacred gear! We were given orders, if there was a chance for the devils to get the sacred gear, then we were to kill the wielder! I took him on a date because he was likely to say yes and lower his guard!"

Huh, perhaps the risk of losing her wings was much more of a threat than Joker realised. Of course, there was also the fact that he was letting the smallest portion of Arsene's power leak through into his own body, the legendary thief of fiction causing his eyes to burn with an unnatural amber flame behind his mask. Without a physical body to inhabit, the being known as Arsene was simply sheer power within the sea of souls and calling upon him in such a form was something it had taken a large amount of time and control for Joker to do without calling upon the whole thing - while that was useful in certain situations, he didn't want to tip his hand just yet.

"Devils rule this city and they have their eyes on people with powerful weapons you were sent to prevent the devils from getting them." Joker surmised, a small frown playing upon his face as he twisted the knife. It was barely even a movement, only a slight twist, but the agony Raynare felt was clearly displayed upon her face. "You said we; I'm going to need more names that just that."

"Mittelt Kalawarner and Dohnaseek, at the abandoned church! There's nothing else I can tell you!" Raynare spat out, the tears beading in her eyes. "Now release me! I gave you all I have, you don't need to take my wing anymore!"

"There's a difference between _need_ and _want_." Noir gleefully answered, a dark look entering her eyes as she lowered her grenade launcher, instead using the shaft of her axe to keep herself upright while a pout appeared upon her face. "But you did give Joker what he wanted, so I suppose we can let you go…"

The sound of an explosion near her legs caused Raynare to leap back, her awkward stance upon landing causing a pained grunt to escape her. The fact that Noir let her grenade launcher fall didn't mean she had taken her finger off the trigger – in fact, it had simply been a sign for the others to move their position lest they get caught in the blast.

"Just know that I'm not as nice as Joker is. If you end up coming after one of these people again, I won't hesitate to burn you down to the ground. Are we clear?" the sickly sweet tone had Raynare rapidly yelling her positive reply while fleeing, Joker letting out a low whistle as the girl struggled to keep herself moving with legs and wings as damaged as they were. A cough escaped Noir as she began to scratch her cheek, the previous bloodlust that decorated her face fading away into embarrassment. "Was that a little too far? Usually, Panther or Queen deals with the negotiations, but I always wanted to try it for myself."

That was crazy, absolutely crazy and yet very much in Haru's demeanour, but Joker'd be an absolute idiot to say it out loud.

"I knew Noir was crazy sadistic, but that was on an entirely different level!"

Apparently, Mona was replacing Skull for the lack of control over his mouth. The response was Noir turning to Mona, a new glint entering her eyes as she slowly began to approach upon the cat.

"What was that you said? Come here so I can hear it properly."

"Nothing, I said nothing! Butterfly, Joker, help me!"

"Were all your trips out so… exciting?" Lavenza questioned, placing a hand upon her heart when she saw some of the things Lavenza started to do. For such a calm, quintessential young lady-type, she had a fierce right hook on her; something that was perhaps necessary to wield weapons o the calibre the young brunette preferred. "Caroline and Justine always understood that Mementos was a challenging place to repeatedly enter, they never believed you could act so… casual while doing so."

"Perhaps it was the fact that we were acting as Phantom Thieves, maybe it was because we were using it as a coping mechanism. It definitely wasn't because we didn't find Mementos scary, that place was terrifying." He was a confident man, Joker. But even confident men felt fear – being confidence wasn't just about not feeling fear, it was about feeling fear, understanding that fear and pushing forward regardless. Some of the Phantom Thieves of hearts may have taken longer or less time to learn that specific lesson, but it came to them eventually no matter what and soon they were all showing confidence even when it was _extremely_ hard to pretend they weren't frightened out of their minds. "If I had to choose those, then it's probably because we were with friends enjoying ourselves. The battles were difficult when they came, but we were otherwise just taking a road trip together in our free time. In palaces, our attitudes were completely different. Besides, this is the real world – there are fewer threats… kind of."

"I see. You have far more courage than I could ever hope to have my trickster." Lavenza declared, hugging her Grimoire closer to her as she suddenly started slightly. "By the way, you referred to me as Butterfly back then. Why did you do such a thing? I am not officially part of the Phantom Thieves."

"If you're going to work with us, then you might as well be. All you'd need is a mask, you already have access to the personae I crafted for you." At Joker's words, a small smile appeared upon Lavenza's face, a delicate hand passing over her eyes. The small twinkles of light soon began to grow in size, morphing upon her face until they took on the form of a brilliant blue mask shaped like a butterfly, serving to make the assistant look all the more like a noble's child taken away from a prestigious ball.

"Would you happen to mean something like this?" Butterfly asked in a mischievous tone, her smile mirrored by Joker's smirk.

"Pretty much. Welcome properly to the team Butterfly."

* * *

"Wonderful! With this much prepared, we may be able to open by tomorrow!" Haru cheered as she checked over the coming vans. All it had taken was Haru mentioning her full name before there was suddenly an express slot free for their delivery, all of their deliveries in fact – within a couple of hours, they had already received new updated equipment, replaced the furniture and received the first bulk of their food. While the end goal was still to place their own grown vegetables on the menu, the short term naturally needed to be filled until they could actually establish an area to grow the food. I wonder just how well we'll do. We haven't exactly advertised the place yet…"

"Don't worry yourself over it. With me in the kitchen and you up front, they'll be filling the chairs in moments." Ren answered, already looking over the various stock they had as it was sorted upon shelves and into fridges. It was already sorted out that far at least – while Haru would be at the front dealing with the customers, Ren would be at the back sorting out the food and drinks that were ordered. While he tried his best to be friendly and charismatic, Haru fell into the role far more naturally than he did. "Besides, if you need help, get Lavenza and Morgana to stand outside with a sign or something. Nothing draws them in like a cute young girl and a cat."

"I have left the Velvet Room to learn more about my purpose in life and just why the world acts as it is. My purpose is most definitely _not_ to act as a mere advertisement." Lavenza initially objected as she paused in her checking over her Grimoire, only to sniff the air cutely as a plate of curry soon found its way onto the table – lunch was prepared while they were on a break from sorting out the stock and it could only be the curry that Joker had learnt so perfectly from Sojiro. Before Lavenza could take the plate however, it was taken away just out of her reach by Ren, the teasing smile on his face causing an embarrassed sigh to escape her. "If this is truly the game you wish to play, then I suppose degrading myself is only temporary."

Ah, yes. No matter how refined she seemed to act, it was fun to poke at the childish element present within her. As Caroline and Justine, the pair did a wonderful job of playing the tough wardens, yet they still held a mind-set similar to their appearance and whenever he felt the pressure get to him, Ren always had fun provoking it within the Velvet Room and seeing just what kind of reactions he could pull out. Now, he simply had the chance to do it whenever he wanted.

"Right then, should we get back to the important stuff?" Morgana stated from his position upon the counter, casually strolling back and forth along the wood. "After all, we learnt that there are creatures like fallen angels walking around the place in disguise and there's more of them than just that girl. That's not even speaking if there are different kinds of monsters – at the least, they're meant to come from normal angels, so we should be expecting them."

"They spoke of devils as well… I suppose that anything we met in Mementos has the chance to appear." Haru reasoned, wringing her hands around one another. "The thought that those kind of creatures are simply wandering around in the same places as us… how many do you think there were in a place like Shibuya?"

"Anything that has a humanoid form," Ren answered with a slight shiver. So long as he wasn't just going to walk out into the street and end up face-first against a Mara or something then Ren was just fine with that. Sure, actually locating them would be far harder than trying to find a hulking beast trying to sneak through the area, but if there was a power strong enough to make horrifying monsters viewed as normal or ignored by the public? That was worrying in and of itself. "Hopefully. Regardless, if this is what we're meant to deal with, then we'll crush them when the time is right."

"They're defensives should pose little threat to you. They seem to be a manner of manipulating the cognition of the public to make them follow specific orders such as ignoring situations – you, who have proven yourself capable of ignoring things that would change your cognition, will remain unaffected." Lavenza explained. "However, what that fallen angel had was a natural disguise, whatever powers she holds allows her to minimally manipulate her body to confirm her human appearance. Such a thing is far harder to distinguish from a normal human."

"So in the end, we have little to go off of save for watching out to see if the fallen angels attempt another attack. How unfortunate." Haru concluded. "Then we simply must keep our guards up and live life as normal! It wouldn't do to gain a negative reputation so soon after moving here!"

A low growl filling the room caused any response to the girl's words to be silenced, a low blush slowly rising on Haru's cheeks as she let her hair fall over her face, the absolute height of embarrassment.

"Perhaps it would be better to have lunch first though…"

* * *

"Why thank you." A witch remarked as she took the cup of tea from a nun, the nun giving a small curtsey and a smile as she poured herself a cup. The witch's cyan twintails gently fluttered as she turned her eyes to the open window, gazing out to the space outside, hands delicately playing with the azure dress she wore. "They seem to have gotten a bit restless; perhaps this is the time where our presence has finally been discovered."

The blonde nun's smile faded slightly as she gripped her teacup close to her chest, the chair and in fact, the majority of the surroundings matching the pearlescent white of her dress and head veil. A long draw from the cup brought a satisfied sigh from her lips, but even that wasn't enough to quell the slight discontent that welled from those words.

"Truly? I had thought the barrier surrounding this place were too well forged to ever show weakness." The nun replied slowly, turning her eyes to the teapot with a small hum. Perhaps a little more honey to the mixture and the taste would be far more divine; perhaps it would even transcend any other blend she had made to this point.

"…My dear nun, you put far more attention to your brews than anyone could ever consider healthy." The witch giggled, her movements causing the oversized azure witch's hat on her head to bounce merrily up and down, a harmless huff escaping the nun as she gently pointed a finger.

"And you, my dear witch, place far more attention upon your songs than is necessary. Honestly, if your songs weren't so heavenly, then I would tell you to rest your voice." The nun said with a sigh, the smile on her face taking away whatever bite there was, the nun joining her friend in gazing out of the window. "Whatever could they want with you? They haven't thought of you for so long, I'm surprised they even speak of you as any more than a fairy tale character."

"Perhaps that is the very reason they take notice. Perhaps I have faded from their minds and somehow, this barrier grows weary with age." The witch suggested in reply, giving a subtle shrug as she did. "They take notice of this power unfamiliar to them. Why, the only response they could have is confusion and trepidation, is it not?"

"Remember, these are not the creatures that have taken residence around the globe from their own – there are humans among them and others that I cannot name." the nun remarked, taking a step away from the window to delicately seat herself on a pristine white chair, placing her white cup upon a white table. "Perhaps if they do manage to break into here they might be able to bring some form of paint as well."

"Do not forget that we have tried to do such a thing already. The fact that the walls remain such a colour means it's a power beyond simple bricks and cement." The witch reminded. All of the power the pair of them held and there was something so strong something that repelled their powers _so much_ that they couldn't even colour the walls. Such was the strength of this world. "A true misfortune really. I suppose it is understandable if they wished to restrain my power, but to prevent me from even recolouring anything… it's a small relief that it fits so well with your colour scheme, if you could even call it a colour scheme."

They acted as if it wasn't a conversation they had before – as if it wasn't a conversation they had several times before in the many years they had spent together in that place. Yet there was only so much they could see through the window, only so many things to do when they had been given very little to mess about with. In all honesty, it was a miracle that they had even managed to gather what little they had.

A sudden gasp escaped the witch as she leant a little closer to the window an absolute look of delight entering her features as the nun let her confusion show.

"Now, what has gotten you so excited? You see little through the window, do you not?" the nun questioned, not immediately receiving a response from her friend. Instead, the nun found herself ushered closer to the window, taking a peer through into the space as a beautiful smile blossomed upon the witch.

"What a cute child they have! Do you not agree, dear nun?" the witch exclaimed excitedly, an exasperated, if well-mannered shake of the head coming from the nun as she continued to watch the group that had so eagerly captured the heart and attention of the witch. "The cat and she make such an adorable combination, there is simply no room for argument!"

"Indeed, I am loathe to disagree with you on such a point." The nun chuckled out. "it is such a shame then that the fallen angel plots with her friends to end their lives. They seem strong enough to withstand such an attack, but a young face like that makes me worry still."

"I do wonder why he of all people would suddenly gain interest in me." The witch mused. "and he could send any sort of person to come to investigate, yet he chooses two humans in addition to his creations… his fascination with them borders on a level similar to my own."

"Truly a feat, I had thought no one could ever reach your faith in humanity." A sigh escaped the witch as she leant back, letting her fingers rest upon the piano keys in front of her. She had little reason to ever move beyond the confines of her piano; her duty lay with it and her body showed no decay no matter how long she spent there. Perhaps there were even times where she continued her duty throughout the night – sometimes it was woefully hard to keep track of the time with such a constant bright light and no clock to speak of.

As the conversation died down, the witch looked down upon the piano she was sat at, running a hand along the grain of the wood. Far more than simple music came out from it; the piano itself was a creation far beyond explanation, it's tones both beautifully entrancing and yet so utterly beyond human comprehension. As soon as the woman began to play, gently pressing upon the keys, a miracle was born with each note.

_Time to time, do you think of that day's delivery?_

_That early tune,_

_commissioned to,_

_a stranger's faded name?_

_Every deftly left lyric,_

_with a pitch to follow it,_

_Was born blessed by the gentlest light…_

The witch let her eyes close as the gentle tune passed by her lips, a heavenly sound that the nun still found herself enthralled with no matter how many times she heard the tune. From the piano, life was born and life was destroyed – a man smiled and a woman cried – civilization reached for the stars and was brought down to earth. So many opposites were brought into action through the witch's music all while never knowing what the strange tale woven through her tunes ever meant. The nun watched on with rapt attention.

_Though that rusted intent once was meant to stand secure,_

_The feelings packed,_

_without a stamp,_

_surely are to be returned._

_So those dreams that seem chronically caused to hack_

_And courage that's bandaged up in a cast,_

_Are staring at the walls they spot from their cots._

_Will you stay as they play their song?_

_It's not really much, but it's all_

_Sound familiar, already heard?_

_It's the reprise of life's symphony!_

No matter how they might've tried to restrain her, she was still capable of using her powers within her walls. Sure, they were cautious enough to prevent her from doing anything to the walls that contained her, but she was gifted with free reign within those walls and she would be a fool if she didn't use that to her advantage.

A new pot of tea was quickly being prepared, their idle chatter having resulted in her prior pot running out. A quick flick of the nun's hand and any sound the kettle would've made while heating was eliminated; she would be a fool if she let herself ruin such a beautiful song making tea of all things. It had become something akin to nostalgic listening to the songs and the witch never faltered in her playing.

_So!_

_Let's sing for you, let's sing for me,_

_like magic, then maybe,_

_The melancholy,_

_tomorrow seen,_

_will blush from the touch it brings_

_Let's sing again, the tears you shed,_

_may sting, but with a key,_

_The sugary white hope that grows from them won't fall out of reach…_

Soon, the song settled down as the people carried on with their lives, the witch and the nun only able to watch as the world continued spinning without them. No longer silenced, the kettle's whistle filled the air, the nun gracefully rising from her seat to place the boiled water with her mysterious concoction into her teapot. In no time at all, their cups had been refilled and the only sound that was heard in the room was two friends enjoying the flavours.

"…The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. It's such a novel concept, but they've already proven their worth in Shibuya. The chaotic powers that threatened to bring ruin to the earth, they were destroyed through those thieves' bonds with one another." The witch muttered. "Do you think they could do the same with the creatures that roam their land? Those who seek to abuse the vulnerable hearts of humanity?"

Even speaking about them caused the witch's voice to drop several levels, a cold chill passing through the room. It was the exact opposite of the personality the witch normally put forth, the nun quick to reassure her friend.

"Though their numbers have been reduced, the leader of their group remains in action. With a little push… who knows what could be possible?" the nun suggested, her smile dropping back into a small frown. "But you cannot hold onto your hatred forever my friend. One day, you will have to face them once more and you cannot meet them on that day with disgust."

"When they prove themselves undeserving of such disgust!" came the vitriolic reply, the witch's hands colliding horribly with the piano keys to unleash a distorted sound throughout the room. A wicked power began to whip up a breeze, the nun subconsciously taking a step back as the witch began to pant heavily. "They're a plague upon humanity, all of them. They have invaded and taken advantage of such a beautiful species as if they were nothing more than toys to abuse… Until such a horrific practice is done no more, there can be no negotiation with those _beasts…_ "

That was the difference between a witch and a nun. Whereas the nun had long since released her hatred for their kind, the witch allowed it to bubble and boil within her for all of those years regardless of the smiles that commonly appeared on her face. A quick tap to the side of her face, however, had the witch back to her normal self, a few deep breaths having her stroking the piano almost as if apologising for forcing it to produce such a horrid sound.

"But those Phantom Thieves have arrived… and they will no doubt find a way to put them in their place. That is what they do after all…" the witch mused. "They change the status quo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics used:  
> OKTAVIA. (2018) Sing = Like a Magic english ver. 【Oktavia】シング＝ライカマジク. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7oqh2l6h7w [accessed 28th Mar 2018]


	4. No violence in the cafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On fallen angels and failed ambushes

* * *

The soothing scent of coffee filling the air.

The sound of bubbling curry as it reached perfection upon the stove.

The dull noise of the TV as the news continued to drone on about this that and the other.

Ren gave a small sigh as he continued to cook in the kitchen. Almost immediately after the doors opened for the first time, there had been a couple curious enough by the Okumura name to step in and order a few small bits. Soon, Haru had them in easy conversation and the boy was preparing the plates with eager anticipation.

"Hey, here you go…" the boy began placing the plates down with only a moment's hesitation. After all, they seemed perfectly content with conversing with Haru, Ren didn't want to be too much of a distraction. Hopefully, he could just slip back out and get away…!

"Ah, are you busy? I was hoping we could have a little chat?" the elderly woman asked as soon as Ren took a step away, a cheerful smile on her face as she posed the question. With only the smallest of winces, Ren turned back with a smile on his face, a respectful bow to his customers. "I'm assuming then that you're the one who made this wonderful curry? I must admit, I was doubtful at first, but this coffee pairs magnificently."

"Yes, I learnt in from a professional after all." Came the curt reply, Haru giving a small chuckle as she attached herself to Ren's arm.

"Do yourself a little more justice Ren. After all, Sojiro's curry isn't so easily replicated. It takes real skill to make it as well as you do!" the brunette praised, Ren turning away with a slight blush on his face. Normally, Haru was far more reserved in her displays of affection, but apparently, these two had put her in a far less tense manner. "Ren here dedicated quite a large amount of his time to learning how to make this curry – it was the bestselling dish in the previous café Ren worked and lived at."

"Ah, how quaint! It's wonderful to know that you're following after your father!" the semi balding man of the pair remarked, taking in another spoonful of the curry before continuing with his words. "If only my son knew how to be as good and well trained as you seem to be."

"Not father, just carer." Ren gently corrected. Sojiro was far different from the man who called himself Ren's father, even if the initial reception from the café Leblanc owner had bene similar frosty. After he started warming up to Ren and learning that there was no reason why the boy would've casually assaulted a man for no reason, Sojiro had become far more receptive and willing to pass on advice and wisdom, something that Ren's father rarely found a need to do. "I hope you enjoy your meals, but I still have curry left on the stove and I don't want to leave it alone too long."

"Of course, we shouldn't be taking your time!" the woman dismissed with a small wave as Ren turned around, immediately moving into the kitchen and reaching into the drawers. That was when Morgana slinked his way onto the counter, resting upon his palms as he inhaled deeply.

"Jeez, what has you on edge Ren? They're just customers, even if they're your first." The cat muttered, setting up when a small portion of the delicious dish was placed before him and he was free to dig in. "Don't tell me you've managed to fight incredible demons and you're getting scared by a bad review from two old people?"

"…Sorry, I've just got things weighing on my mind." Ren muttered with a shake of his head. "After all, we haven't heard much from Raynare and we haven't come across much on our trip last night. Not a single sight of anything out of the ordinary. Surely we can't have just been sent to deal with that?"

"Your journey has not yet reached a stage considered suitable for the termination of your renewed contract with the Velvet Room. Rest assured that you still have a distance to travel before you reach your destination." Morgana let out a small yelp at the sudden voice out of nowhere; Ren simply didn't respond as Lavenza continued to lazily flip through the pages of her Grimoire. The attendant had the odd habit of randomly disappearing and reappearing throughout the day and Ren had no clue why – it was pretty likely to be attached to the Velvet Room, but whenever the girl held her Grimoire in Ren's line of sight, it was a language completely beyond his understanding, not a single symbol repeated and in no recognisable patterns he could attach to already established languages. It only served to remind the boy of just how non-human Lavenza truly was. "If Raynare was truly the only issue to deal with, Master Igor would not show such concern when speaking to you. There is surely a far greater evil within the world to deal with."

"Well, there's that… and Raynare has those friends of her at the abandoned church. Even with the injuries and threats, will she be enough to keep them quiet? we don't know how close they are, they could either take her wounds as a sign not to attack or that she's too weak to lead and they have a better chance at success." Ren reasoned, moving the curry to a lower heat to prevent it from simply burning. The response was a small sigh from the cat as Morgana picked his head up from the dish he was licking.

"Come on, we've done this sort of thing how many times? We know that the shadows that we interrogate never return to fight us, we scare them right off; what makes that Raynare girl any different?" Morgana countered. "I mean, I'll be pretty impressed if she managed to get a glimpse of your power in that state and decided it was a good idea to attack you again."

"You're right… but open that door, just enough so we can see Haru." Ren ordered, receiving an odd look in reply. Regardless, Morgana followed his orders, using his head to push open the door enough so Ren could see the elderly couple still chatting away with Haru, not a single over customer even thinking about entering the building. It was a shame, considering that there had been quite a few faces that looked rather eager at first and even now, there were some who were looked in for the briefest of moments before confusion filled their eyes and they carried on their way. A small hum escaped Ren as he heard Haru dismiss the odd movements as Morgana sneaking about, the boy returning to his drawer and finally pulling out what he had been trying to find before.

"So Ren, why do you want this door open aga- REN!"

The knife that had once been between his fingers suddenly launched directly through the small gap, Haru letting out a small gasp as she saw the metal blade flying out of the kitchen. The sheer strength of Ren, however, meant that there was no way she could act in time to protect the elderly couple directly in the firing line. That was when something none of them was expecting suddenly occurred, the blade's edge slicing directly across the elderly couple's face as twin cries of pain were heard.

Before their faces and the rest of their bodies promptly exploded outward, revealing the two completely different people beneath the false flesh.

* * *

Where once an elderly woman sat, a rather buxom blue-haired figure sat instead in a burgundy coat revealing far more of her cleavage than Ren felt comfortable with, blinking in confusion as she looked upon her own body as if it was foreign to her. In comparison, the man she was with revealed himself to be a dour-faced brown-haired man, a small scoff coming from his lips as he placed a simple fedora on his head. Pair that with the trench coat he was wearing, he looked all the part of a detective. Ren had never liked detectives… save maybe one, no matter how much _that detective_ tried to do to the Phantom Thieves.

"But that should be impossible… these disguises are completely foolproof." The woman dismissed in disbelief. It had been damn hard work getting Mittelt to actually do her job and provide the disguises, to see them shattered in a single strike was as annoying as possible, especially considering that it was meant to be _impossible_ without the user removing the various enchantments and physical bindings that kept everything in place.

"Well, that's what happens when you let kids do your work for you." The man spat towards the table, shifting around to stare carelessly at the pistol being held towards his face. It wasn't the first time he had human-made weapons pointed at him and there was only so much time you could spend being threatened with them before their impact began to lessen. "How'd you suss us out so easily then kid? Admittedly, it takes something special to see through this kind of disguise. Perhaps Raynare had some evidence to be as frightened as she was."

"When I placed the dishes down, our hands accidentally brushed." Came the rather odd explanation, the blue-haired woman no closer to understanding. It must've made more sense in the man's mind however, for he simply replaced his slight anger with a moment's appreciation, tipping his hat accordingly. "When I touched your hand, it didn't have the same feeling to it. It was warm, but like how clothes get warm when they're worn – it felt unnatural and considering what we've had to deal with recently, I wasn't going to take any chances."

"I guess I can ask more questions once we've got you back in our grasp." The woman sighed, a snap of her finger having the world around them take a pink tinge; though isolated only to the area just outside and within the café, a barrier had been created that no human would be able to penetrate. The only way they would be escaping was either in their grasp or by dying. "Allow me to properly introduce ourselves. My name's Kalawarner and this here is Dohnaseek. We'll be dealing with you, one way or the other."

"No need to talk. Let's just get this over with." Ren pulled the trigger, only to find that he had blown a hole right in the middle of the chair. That would be a bitch to clean up. Of course, the clean-up that would have to happen was only second in the phantom thief's mind, for he was forced to bring up the pistol to block a spear of light. Thank goodness it was granted the power of the collective subconscious; any normal weapon would've been completely disintegrated in the power of the attack, yet with the enchantment placed upon it, there was only a major burn from how hot the metal got after coming into contact with pure light.

Sliding across the seats, the boy managed to grab his knife from where it had fallen, throwing it once more towards Kalawarner who sidestepped the projectile and watched it dig deep into the wall. For a human, it was a feat worthy of admiring – to a fallen angel, it was a basic act of strength that any half-decent fighter could achieve. The bullets were a little harder to dodge, one scraping along her side and tearing her coat. A shame, she really liked that coat.

"I must say, when Raynare said she struggled with you, I was expecting something… more." Dohnaseek muttered, Ren turning his attention away at Haru's call, her arm twisted far beyond what could be comfortable. The problem was immediately clear from how Dohnaseek threw aside her weapon, the polearm slamming into Ren's body. "That's the thing with you weapon users. You get so used to using your preferred arm that you can't compromise. What made you think using a giant axe was a good idea in this closed space?"

"Let go of her!" Ren called out, the knife in his hand flipped downward so he could stab the man in the shoulder, it would take a second for Ren's eyes to bulge out, grabbing a chair with his foot and flicking it under him so he could stop just before he hit his unintended target, the additional height of the chair he was standing on shakily meaning that the sharpened blade hovered just above a frightened Haru's eye. The shaky foundation, however, meant that it was easy for Kalawarner to give a roundhouse kick, completely shattering the wood beneath the black-haired boy's feet and sending him tumbling to the ground with a heavy thump, Kalawarner easily following up with her heel into Ren's stomach.

"Come now, maybe Raynare was even worse than I thought! Two humans with dinky little toys, what a joke!" the blue-haired woman laughed, picking up Ren's knife and casually flipping it in her hand. If she knew just how close to the truth she was, then she would probably be laughing even harder. Regardless, she stepped away without a care as a weak body was thrown in her direction, Haru's weight forcing all of the air temporarily out of Ren's lungs. "If these pair were able to beat her, then we should've kicked her out onto the streets ages ago."

That was when Dohnaseek froze, if only for a moment. After all, he heard the boy beneath their feet mutter out something short, it couldn't have been more than three syllables, but it was still enough to pull out a hint of curiosity in the man. Perhaps if he had properly heard what was being said, he might've exercised a bit of caution. Nevertheless, the man managed to hear the second part bright and clear, as did Kalawarner – it wouldn't have worked if they hadn't been able to.

"Dazzler!" Ren's command came with the briefest moment of confusion before both fallen angels suddenly grabbed their foreheads in pure agony; a headache beyond anything imaginable ripped through their skulls as if it were nothing more than water, messing up any thought they could bring to mind. It was like they had been thrown into the middle of a tornado, head-spinning wildly enough to nearly make Dohnaseek throw up and there was no way the light spear he had tried to throw in their direction was going to hit when it seemed like the world was spinning far faster than usual.

Note to self, replace the light as well. For goodness sake, the cleaning bills were adding up.

"Mona, you're up!" Ren called as he helped Haru to her feet, the feline phantom leaping into the fray quite literally. With a slingshot in hand, several projectiles bit deep into the flesh of their targets, followed up by a curved sabre that, when Mona was flipping through the air, cut like a circular saw across their bodies. Stuck in such a dizzy state, there was no way they could've avoided the attack.

"Butterfly, passing the baton!" the cat called, the young girl's entrance far more graceful. With a flick of a finger as soon as she burst through the kitchen door, several strange symbols began to fill the air, a low groan coming from both Kalawarner and Dohnaseek as their minds were involuntarily altered – when they first learnt about the skill, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had named the mindset it caused 'confusion', but it was so much more than that. What the Velvet Room attendant did was completely scramble their thought processes, those who were enemies became friends and those who were friends became enemies, which was why Kalawarner tried to stab Dohnaseek with a light spear, only for it to be deflected by another. "Nice! No need to take them out if they're busy taking each other out!"

"I don't wish to be so rude when we're in the middle of a fight… but can we please move the combat to another area?" Haru pointed out, rubbing her hands as she watched the two fallen angels turn on one another as if they had never met before after stories of how they were destined to kill each other. "I wish to avoid any additional payments if it isn't necessary."

Ren only had a second to admire the absurdity of Haru before he lashed out with his foot; both Kalawarner and Dohnaseek were so consumed by their conflict that they didn't notice the attack before it struck them in the side, Mona and Butterfly opening up the kitchen door so the two could tumble through. A couple more attacks while they were disoriented and dizzy had them bursting out of the kitchen door, Joker stepping out casually and pulling upon his gloves.

"Now then, so you're a couple of those who are searching for the 'Sacred Gears'," Joker remarked with an evil smile, one that held power beyond anything Dohnaseek and Kalawarner had ever born witness to. The effects of Butterfly's spell quickly faded as a completely different sensation filled their minds; where once there had been dizziness and confusion, there was now only primal fear, more fear than there really should've been. Then again, they had underestimated just who they were up against. "Well let me tell you something, when you walked through that door with someone else's faces on, you made a grave mistake. You thought visiting us in our home territory, new as it is, would mean we would relax our guard. And perhaps yes, there were the occasions where we weren't as on guard as we could've been, but we're phantom thieves; if we were so easily beaten, we wouldn't be able to look ourselves in the mirror. Like we told your leader, the game is up. Go home. _Never try to do this again_."

And off they fled, barely of the right mind as they disappeared into the back alleys, hopefully never to be seen again. As soon as they disappeared, so too did the barrier they form fade away to reveal a perfectly clear sky, the clothes of a gentleman thief fading away back to the raggedy old work outfit of a teen. With a sigh, he wiped his hands off on his apron and returned inside, flashing a brief smile to Haru as she entered the kitchen.

"Hopefully we won't be seeing them again unless we go to them. I don't feel like scaring them off is enough." Ren muttered, Haru giving no words at first as she merely nodded. It was only a moment later when he would come to realise the mistake that he had made, silently cursing as he nearly dropped the ladle of curry he was pouring out for an elderly couple, who actually was an elderly couple. "Damn it, I forgot to make them forget!"

The leader of the phantom thieves, however, missed the small bat that fluttered high above the entire encounter, hovering in place for a small moment before deciding that there was nothing left to see and returning to its master's side. At least, that was the plan before a curious girl dressed in blue appeared right in front of it, giving the smallest curtsey as she landed upon the rooftop, staring with bright gold eyes.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't act so brazen in watching. To the one who sees through another's eyes, please keep matters to yourself." Lavenza gently muttered before a breeze swept across the pages of the pale girl's Grimoire, a flurry of wind carving the bat into tiny pieces that fell harmlessly into fierce flames that left not even dust. With her job complete, Lavenza carefully lowered herself to the ground with an elegant leap, eager to return to the café.

"I wonder if there is any curry to spare from my trickster…?"

* * *

Rias Gremory winced as she felt her familiar be murdered, the contract connecting the two immediately severed prematurely. It wasn't a process that ever felt pleasant to experience, especially when the buxom redhead had connected her sight to that of her familiar's and thus, experienced first-hand what it was like to be killed. With a hand to her forehead, Rias rummaged through her desk, finding the papers she was _meant_ to be working on; so long as she had them out and done by the time the rest of the club members were back from their classes for break, they wouldn't expect a thing.

"Ah, president. I see you have… regained your senses." Akeno greeted, the black-haired girl delicately lowering an incredibly intricate tea set onto the wooden desk. The fact that she had made tea from nowhere caused a small pout to momentarily appear on her lips, which Akeno let out a small chuckle from behind her hand in response – Rias' year-mate was meant to be the one minding her body while she was connected to her familiar, a necessary precaution considering that the spell-user was left completely vulnerable while the connection was still established. If Akeno had left to make teas, then she had pretty much left a comatose Rias Gremory, one of the most beautiful and lusted after girls, completely alone without defence. Thank goodness everyone new that the Old School Building was reserved for the Occult Research Club only, making them too scared to enter. "I trust that everything's proceeding as expected?"

"Not entirely…" came Rias' answer, too distracted to realise that while she planned to be filling out her papers, where there should've been answers, there was only awkward scribbles rather than anything comprehensible. "They gave no knowledge that they were aware of my presence, but as soon as my familiar was about to exit the area, the youngest girl with them managed to brutally kill him. It was such a shame, I adored that little thing. It's so hard to get a dependable and cute familiar after the first time."

Akeno let out another giggle behind her hand; while for the older devils, a devil's familiar was seen as a symbol of their power and thus, the stronger variants of the creatures available within the Familiar Forest were preferred, the younger generation, especially the females, had taken a much less ambitious route when it came to determining their familiars. Nowadays, familiars were treated more like pets that could achieve basic errands, cuteness being a playing factor like strength or ability – there was a reason why Akeno continued to keep her adorable little oni as familiars despite their clear lack of combat ability.

"More importantly, did you find any more information about our new and old guests in Kuoh?" Akeno prompted, pouring out a cup of tea and placing it beside Rias. Well, not too close. With how absent she was being, there was a fair chance that her president could accidentally knock it all over her work.

"Not much, unfortunately… all I learnt about the new group is that they are skilled fighters, if not the best." Rias sighed. "They appear to have informed the fallen angels to return to where they came from like their leader, meaning they were aware of Raynare. Save for the one who calls herself Mittelt, that means they're aware of all the fallen angels present to our knowledge. As for the Fallen Angels themselves, they seemed to have procured disguises as they entered – we know what happened Mr and Mrs Asaka."

"Ah…" it was an unpleasant business, the art of making disguises. There were very few who did it, both due to low demand and the difficulty that came with making them – it was to such an extent that both Rias and Akeno had believed there was no way it was possible that a disguise maker would be on the fallen angels' side. When the man and woman had been reported missing, they hadn't thought anything of it, simply believing they had been taken away as food to the stray devil they had recently exterminated. Of course that wasn't the case.

Instead, their bodies had been stolen in the dark of night, a meticulous series of spells and enchantments designed to cleanse the bodies before their skins were peeled directly off their corpses, altered from their normal form into something far more resilient to bounded fields and detectors, as well as something that people would be willing to wear like a full-body suit without getting a face covered with blood. The stripped corpses were then thrown to the side – one could only pray that they were dead before the entire process began.

"Will you approach them regardless?" Akeno continued after a moment's disgust, her ever-present smile fading into something a bit more solemn after hearing of their fate. Naturally, they weren't too close, both due to the age and species difference as well as the lack of time interacting, but they had been semi-regular clients of the black-haired devil and it was never for anything serious. Sure, the minor chores Akeno had to do under their temporary employment were tedious and mundane, but the small conversations she had with the pair hadn't been bad at all. "No doubt that they were responsible for Issei escaping Raynare's grasp."

"Indeed… with the way that boy referred to their leader, there's no doubt. As to approaching them… perhaps after a little time. Both sides need to cool our heads, lest we cause tensions." Rias reasoned, finally grasping her cup and taking a sip – lukewarm, but not bad. "Their interactions with the supernatural in Kuoh have not been genial at all, if we rush into things bullheadedly, the only reaction we can expect is negative. I also need a moment to remember just how crucial they are as well."

It was a heavy thing for Rias to admit, but it was the truth. Even if they had done nothing wrong on purpose, probably, that group had been responsible for Issei being able to escape Raynare. It meant that Rias hadn't been able to get the peerage member that she had spent so long planning and preparing for and that stung. Considering what Issei could potentially hold, it was a difficult loss and the redhead was already putting plan B into action. She may put on a smile, but the devil side of her was still reeling from the loss.

"You can't put it off forever though, we cannot predict their movements and events may happen where you lose the chance of ever convincing them to your side," Akeno warned, looking out the window to where Kiba and Koneko approached. The two didn't speak, no matter how much Kiba tried to engage his friend – if it weren't for their status as fellow peerage members, then there would be no chance of them ever interacting. Rias Gremory just so happened to have a thing for bringing together people who normally wouldn't, Kiba and Koneko were perfect examples of that, but that ability would only stretch so far. "Do you even believe that they would agree to your request? They most certainly will object to becoming peerage members."

"If they are as powerful as my first impressions predict, then I highly doubt I even have the pieces to turn them all into devils." That was a response she didn't expect to get off her president and king. Didn't she say they weren't that impressive before? Perhaps it showed on Akeno's face, for Rias quickly elaborated with a teasing smile. "I may have said they appeared to not be the best of fights, but you should understand well from little Gasper that appearances can be deceiving. Did you not believe I did a little research about them when they moved in? Have you ever heard about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?"

"Phantom… Thieves?" the name was familiar to Akeno, but for the life of her, she struggled to recall where she had heard it from. The name itself sounded ridiculous and pompous, almost like a cringy pickup line, but something told her that there was a more serious aspect to it than she realised. "I must have heard about it from our classmates gossiping about it, I can't seem to recall anything."

"President, we're back!" a male voice suddenly cut in, the door creaking open to reveal Yuuto's smiling face alongside Koneko's… well, not so smiling face. While Yuuto went to greet his president, the white-haired girl immediately made her way over to the sofa, pulling out a small bag from within her school stuff and happily started to eat the contents. "I hope we haven't missed anything?"

"Quite a lot. Plan B for Issei Hyoudou has been engaged and I'll be planning a trip to the Familiar Forest in the coming full moon. All thanks to our new friends." Rias answered. "You see, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were a group that operated within Shibuya in recent times, claiming that they would 'steal the hearts' of people – essentially causing them to change their ways and admit to their wrongdoings. How they do it is completely beyond me, but there are many cases of a request being sent in and results coming not long after, as well as a string of revelations about key individuals being made known in the year after the unveiling of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

The papers Rias had been working on were quickly replaced by a pair of profiles, each one bearing the symbol of Shujin Academy upon them. Yuuto and Akeno gathered around and even Koneko was unable to hold her curiosity, gazing down stoically at the odd-looking pictures.

"Ren Amamiya. Haru Okumura. This was their profiles during the formation of the Phantom Thieves." While the first half of the profiles looked completely normal, a great number of messy scrawls covered the bottom of the sheets, something that only Rias could read – it was her brother's handwriting after all. "Ren Amamiya transferred to Shujin Academy during that year, due to a false conviction that was revealed due to the actions of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Curiously enough, though Haru Okumura attended Shujin Academy for a longer period, she too was involved due to the death of Kunikazu Okumura. From what my brother was able to learn, Haru had been having troubles due to an arranged marriage and the mistreatment of employees by her father, which the Phantom Thieves managed to achieve. By tracing their movements, a correlation was able to be found that they met together with a large group and frequently disappeared for long stretches of time; whether it be through magic or alternate means, there is no doubt that these two are members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Skilled thieves who are capable of manipulating the mindsets of people and skilled fighters with a skillset unknown, that's who has moved into Kuoh. Although, there was no mention of who that girl could've been… Regardless, until we can confirm just what they're capable of, we have to be careful about approaching them. To risk losing that ability to change hearts would be…"

And suddenly everything began to fall into place. Rias Gremory, a young girl being forced into an arranged marriage against her will to a sleazy, chauvinistic pig of a man all to advance the reputation of her family. What this Haru girl had gone through was scarily similar to their President's situation and yet she had been able to successfully get out of it with the assistance of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. If those same Phantom Thieves had managed to come to Kuoh and Rias was successful in convincing them to assist her with her issues, then maybe she would be able to convince Riser to end the marriage and change his playboy ways.

Of course, there was a bit more risk to it than that. While there were numerous examples of the thieves being able to change the hearts of people, with colloquial anecdotes abound about their exploits, it was Haru Okumura's situation that stuck out the most – for it was the only one to end with the direct death of the one who was targeted, causing the thieves' reputations to fall dramatically. While Rias personally held no reservations about such a fate befalling Riser, the act of accidentally having him killed would reflect badly if it ever got out that Rias was the one to call for their assistance. The older devils valued the purity of their blood a great deal, especially with the advent of the evil pieces causing a far greater dilution of their lines in comparison to before where all they could do was breed with other species rarely; if an heir of one of the few mostly pureblooded families were to die, then there would be a great deal of chaos. It was still the best of the choices Rias had available to her.

"We've collected a variety of different items and treasures of value from our clients. If you do not wish to bring them into the peerage, then perhaps there would be something there that would serve as a suitable payment." Yuuto suggested, casually gesturing an arm into the deeper bowels of the Old School Building. Considering there was no such thing as a devils' bank, it was put to every individual to find appropriate ways to store their fortune; what better way to keep their collection out of the hands of other devils than to take it to a completely different dimension to the underworld? "If they are thieves, then they'd like treasure, right?"

"I don't think they're normal thi…" but then Rias tapered off, her visage becoming pensive for a moment. The fact that they weren't normal thieves didn't have to mean that they wouldn't accept a physical payment. Sure, what Rias had managed to learn about how they operate before had indicated that they didn't accept payments of their heists, but that didn't say they wouldn't be willing to accept payments if they were offered. In her rush for any answer, the Gremory had over-complicated the whole situation in her mind, trying to find whatever method that would ensure their acquiescence. It had meant all of them simple, but effective choices had been erased from her mind, but there was no evidence to say it couldn't work. "You know what? Perhaps that just might work. Good job Yuuto. I'll have to check the vault to see what we have to offer. Still, I'll wait before making my offer. After all, steak is tastiest after you let it rest for a bit."

And then Rias gracefully stood from her seat, making her way into the depths of the Old School Building with a bounce to her steps that hadn't been there before, a brighter smile than usual gracing her face before it was closed off by the door swinging closed. Akeno let a smile grace her face when she saw that; it was starting to become increasingly rare to see her smile so brightly as the issue with Riser continued to plague her, only brief little smirks making their way out. Perhaps things wouldn't end up as poorly as they seemed to have been destined to be, so long as they could get the so-called Phantom Thieves of Hearts on their sides. Well, if that didn't work, then Ren looked cute enough; perhaps the black-haired devil could work her charms and earn his assistance _another way._

Her giggles soon dissolved when she looked down to the papers on her desk, the ones Rias was meant to be working on during the time she had taken off due to 'club matters'. Well, as vice president of the club, it fell to her to make sure they were done.

Wouldn't want any teachers to get concerned now.


	5. A deal with the devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On negotiations and nostalgia

" _The plan's going perfectly…" Dogranio muttered, swirling the glass of red wine in his hand. Stood high above the rooftops, gazing down upon the completely unaware humans, there appeared to be no obstacle that could obstruct his operation. "All it will take is a single push of a button and then everything will be complete."_

" _Then we'll be taking that then!" and before Dogranio knew it, he was looking down upon an empty hand, a curse filling the air as he turned to the opposite rooftop where a shrouded trio stood. The leader's hand rose, holding the exact trigger that Dogranio had mere moments before, his domino mask glinting in the sunlight as a smirk appeared on his face. "You've been making yourself busy, haven't you? Calling your scam a 'medical miracle' and conning people into undergoing an extremely risky operation so they can have a bomb implanted into them and you get their money through a legal loophole."_

" _They were the ones fooled by such a false desire. Reduced ageing and increased vitality, all through a single operation? Those idiots were basically asking for it!" Dogranio scoffed as he twisted the head of his walking cane, the first inch of sharpened steel revealing itself. "And whether you're alive to see it or not, they will get what they have signed up for!"_

" _Kaitou change!" the three opponents all pulled out white guns, three very different looking aerial vehicles plugging into the rails attached to the side of the weapon. The one feature that pulled them together however was the dial sitting on top, which soon found itself being twisted in a carefully coordinated manner._

_**RED!** _

_**0-1-0!** _

_**BLUE!** _

_**2-6-0!** _

_**YELLOW!** _

_**1-1-6!** _

_**MASQUERAISE!** _

_**KAITOU CHANGE!** _

_As the front of the guns flipped upwards, moving the vehicles into position, the three gave small smirks as they pulled the trigger, a hat-like symbol firing out and falling backwards to coat them in a strange power. In yellow, blue and red, black suits highlighted with their respective colours appeared upon their body, energy formed top hats wrapping around their heads to form helmets with hats as the visor._

" _Lupin-Red!"_

" _Lupin-Blue!"_

" _Lupin-Yellow!"_

" _Kaitou Sentai – Lupinranger!"_

* * *

"…This is ridiculous."

"Really? I find it quite endearing."

As soon as Haru had found out about the TV show, it had been brought to Ren's attention as soon as possible. While the Okumura heiress was more than amused with the whole thing, Ren couldn't help but let his head meet the counter with a groan, only eliciting further giggles from Haru as he did so.

"They didn't even get half of it right. I mean, seriously? They couldn't even get the right number of us." The black-haired boy pointed out, only vaguely acknowledging the fight scene that was occurring on the screen. It was an interesting and well-choreographed scene, a series of perfectly executed flips and kicks having the Lupinrangers flying around their enemy and making mincemeat of him, but it was nothing like what the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were actually capable of. "Besides, Anne would be red, not me. If there was a Lupin-Black, then maybe I could accept it. Here, I've been turned into a lackadaisical playboy."

"There's only so much they can do. It's not like we can file one of those copyright things considering we're not exactly able to disclose who we are." Morgana added with a yawn, the cat stretching out along the wood without a care. "Urgh, it's so boring though! We were sent here, but apart from those first encounters, barely anything's happened! I thought we were sent here to face down some _real_ threat!"

"While I would certainly like to deal with the issue hanging over our heads, I quite appreciate the moments of peace," Haru replied, sipping elegantly at a cup of tea in her hand. As skilled at making coffee as Ren was, Haru had often been faced with a more western style of breakfast in the mornings and not even her boyfriend's work was enough to sway her daily routine. "There's no threat of being arrested, of being forced into doing what we don't wish. Everything we do now is of our volition, by our own hands; it's very much refreshing compared to how it was before."

Except it was partially not, not with Igor's words echoing in their ears. That was the life they were meant to be living, the life they _had_ been living until Ren suddenly found himself within the Velvet Room once more. If the twists of fate had not turned as they had, they wouldn't have to worry about the chance of losing their life to something beyond human comprehension. They wouldn't have to worry about whether the Phantom Thieves were powerful enough with reduced numbers. They wouldn't have to worry about how they were going to keep a source of weapons and medicines in case their current equipment proved insufficient. No, their lives would be peaceful and Ren would've only needed to worry about what the next day's special would be. The boy was fully accepting of his situation, if a little begrudgingly, but the fairy tale life he could've been living with Haru still floated to the front of his mind.

"Do you mind if I take the attention of my trickster for a moment?" Lavenza's polite question pierced through Ren's musing, the boy giving a silent nod as he stood up, a tiny gentle grip upon his sleeve bringing him upstairs into the small apartment they all shared. Ren struggled to find anything from her face, pure stoicism all over her visage as Lavenza drew them both into the small room she called her own, remarkably sparse save for the bare necessities. "My apologies for drawing you away from the others. I… I just am not sure how to voice my concern. I fear I may only say this to you."

"Take your time, there's no rush." Not with how quiet it was downstairs. So early in the morning, they still had a fair chunk of time before people started wandering in and if anyone did come in earlier than expected, then Haru was perfectly prepared to handle things herself. It was one of the things that made Ren fall for her, but a quick cough had the thoughts out of his focus. It wasn't fair to focus on a girl when another was speaking to you.

"This journey of mine… Tell me, my trickster, what is your purpose in life?" Lavenza finally managed to speak after a moment, sitting herself down beside Ren. It was odd, looking upon her at that moment; normally, she was the image of elegance, her eyes glowing with wisdom that betrayed her youthful appearance. Right now, none of that was present, Lavenza looking all the part of a lost child coming to their parents for some advice. Placed in such a position, it was only understandable that Ren froze temporarily, any form of answer escaping him.

"…What's bringing this up then? Kinda sudden." Ren said. It wasn't the most tactful way of phrasing it, the girl's suddenly more vulnerable expression having the leader of the phantom thieves wishing he could swallow the words back up. "But… if I had to say my purpose, then, I'd probably say 'to keep you all safe.' You and the other phantom thieves don't need defending, you don't need me hovering over you like some sort of concerned parent, but… I was the one who got everyone drawn into this mess, if I hadn't helped them become phantom thieves, then they wouldn't have suffered as much as they had; if they can't get their deserved good ending after everything they've been through, then I don't know what I'd do with myself. Does that make sense?"

"But if it weren't for your actions, then there is a high likelihood that those who form the Phantom Thieves of Hearts would never have formed a friendship and many people would've suffered without someone to remove the corruption of humanity. You quite literally saved the world from destruction from apathy – do you regret that?" Lavenza asked with a tilt of her head. Of course that wasn't what he meant, but it was just so difficult to get into words and Lavenza's rather literal interpretation wasn't exactly helping manners.

"No, just – just give me a moment to try and think this through," Ren muttered, running his hands through his hair with a deep sigh. "I don't regret saving the world. If we didn't then everyone would've been left to a life barely above death. But to get to that stage, the Phantom Thieves suffered a _lot_. As their leader, I think back to those times and wonder if there was anything I could do differently to prevent that attack from hitting, or making it so they didn't need to take that strike for me. The sort of thing that doesn't matter in the long run, but you still can't help but feel guilty over. Making sure they can live a happy and carefree life from now on, I have to ensure they can do that, to compensate for everything they went through for me."

It was a feeling that had pervaded most of his time as a phantom thief, no matter how much he tried to suppress it. His logic fought against his heart; the suffering was necessary for the greater good, but it meant that good people had to suffer for zero thanks. That only became worse when he ended up back in prison and Ren could do nothing to help when the others were working tirelessly to get him out of prison. Had he even done enough to thank them for that?

"I can hear it now; 'we don't need any thanks, not for everything you've done for us.'" Ren laughed, falling back against the bed. "Even though it shouldn't, it makes me feel even worse. So even if they don't know I'm doing it, I've been doing my best to help them from the shadows, dealing with what I can to make their lives better."

"…I see. As I feared, humanity is far more complex than I first thought." Lavenza sighed, she too falling back with a lighter sound. "I had thought that hearing your purpose may help me find my own, but I feel no closer to my objective than before. Not even battle has helped me get any closer to a discovery."

Ah, so it all fell in place… kind of. Ren would be the first to admit that when things got emotional and philosophical, he wasn't exactly the best in the group; that was better off with someone like Haru. All he could do was take Lavenza's tiny hand into his own and give the best response he could muster.

"It's not going to be that easy to find your purpose in life. There are tonnes of people who haven't found what their purpose is and probably never will – you can't treat this kind of search lightly." Ren explained. "Don't worry about it Lavenza, when it comes, it comes. Until then, don't focus too hard on it and enjoy life as it is."

"…Yes, thank you, my trickster. I suppose if a journey was so easy, my siblings would've already returned from their own." Lavenza mused as they returned to the front, the sound of the doorbell ringing bringing their attention to the young woman who strolled through the door. "I shall leave you to your own digression, I have business I feel I must attend to now."

Ren couldn't help but feel the sense that Lavenza wasn't entirely too sure about his answer as she walked away, no doubt to disappear to wherever she usually disappeared to, but it was the best he could give. Regardless, he could only turn towards the new arrival, Haru already speaking with the redhead.

This time, however, there was a clear difference in Haru's stance, the girl more than learning from her prior manner. Unlike the fallen angels, this girl was practically oozing with a dangerous aura, almost as if getting too close was going to destroy them and Haru couldn't help the slight tension that entered her movements. As she watched Haru's fingers twitch for a weapon, the redhead didn't show any fear at all. Much to the opposite, she seemed quite happy with the results.

"Ah, excuse me, I was hoping I could talk to you both. I've heard that you recently moved into the area and I was hoping I'd be able to greet you properly!" the girl called out, standing from her seat with a mall bow as Ren moved forward. Sure, the dangerous aura hadn't abated in the slightest, but at least it was partially tempered by what seemed to be genuine friendliness. "My name's Rias Gremory, You see, my family owns the local school and a couple of the businesses, but my brother is very busy, so I was sent in his steed."

"Kuoh Academy _and_ other businesses?" Ren muttered; it made sense after a moment. He had seen the name Gremory on several different businesses as a supporting benefactor and there didn't seem to be any sort of connecting factor between them. It was like someone had just decided to try and take at least partial control of as many of the different businesses as possible. "I think it's a bit more than just a couple of them if I remember correctly. The Gremory company is probably one of the most diverse portfolio-wise I've seen."

"Well, my brother is… quite drastic when it comes to me… He learned that I wanted to attend the high school and university here, so he decided to purchase a fair amount of the businesses here so he could have an excuse to visit me more often." Even Haru with her family's remarkable amount of funds could never achieve such a feat so casually, the two feeling beads of sweat falling down their brow at Rias' awkward admission. "Regardless, I was wondering, what brought you to Kuoh?"

"No reason in particular. It seemed like a lovely area to live in and this place was going remarkably easy." Haru answered, completely oblivious to the small glint of realisation that filled Rias' eyes. Ren may not have known exactly why at that moment, but later, he would come to learn that it was just as much joy as it was an embarrassment. "Even so early, we've received a nice flow of people coming in. Whether that's because they recognise me for the Okumura name, I'm not too sure though."

"It's not a bad reason. Okumura Foods has a very good reputation and with… recent events, it has been thrust back into the spotlight. With news that the previous leader's daughter taking over, they're all intrigued to see just how skilled she is." Rias reasoned, her eyes widening slightly when she caught the gentlest of winces that filled Haru's face, as well as the death glare coming from Ren that definitely _couldn't_ be described as gentle. "Ah, my apologies, those memories are no doubt fresh in your mind. And here I was, trying to make a good impression…"

"D-don't worry about it. You didn't m-mean anything." Haru eventually managed to say with only minor hiccups, her eyes betraying her smile. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Still, hopefully, we will reach a stage when the Okumura name isn't the only reason why people come."

The conversation devolved into little more than an awkward silence at that point; it was hard to make a comeback when things ended on such a rough note. There was little Ren could do, Haru's eyes meeting his own and glowing with gratitude when she felt his hand wrap around her own. It was only when a light cough escaped Rias that they turned back to the girl, a basket sitting before her.

"…I must admit, this is not how I expected this to go." The girl sighed, a click of her fingers causing the colour of the world around them to change. An intake of breath was Rias could do before she found a dagger and axe at her throat, slowly moving her arms up in surrender as she refused to move her eyes away. The two before her were no longer the calm and welcoming Ren Amamiya and Haru Okumura Rias had heard about when speaking with a couple of the people who had frequented the café; Joker and Noir were ready to take her head off in a second. "Peace, peace! I am not here to take you on! Quite the opposite, I was hoping that I could ask for your assistance. Not the best choice considering what I just did, but I'm rather tight on time."

"…Speak. And _do not_ think we will be easily intimidated." Came the curt response from Joker. They had accidentally let someone walk into their sanctuary before and that had ended in a brawl they were unprepared for; they would not take such a risk again. Joker did have to commend Rias though; she didn't let a single ounce of fear or surprise enter her eyes, merely… excitement. "You knew of our powers. How?"

"It was nothing really, barely more than simple deduction and rumours," Rias answered. "But if it weren't for the fallen angels that have invaded, then my familiar would not have been able to see you truly in action. After seeing something like that, I have no doubts that the rumours about you are true and seeing as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts' website no longer accepts requests, I just had to visit you in person."

Rias pulled back the cloth that was covering the basket, Joker's eyes widening at the sheer amount of items held within. With the cloth upon it, it gave the perfect image of an innocent young girl going out to a picnic at the park; without its veil, it was more like a genie come to grant the greatest riches you could ever desire. A wide variety of jewellery sparkled as it was revealed, art pieces no doubt priceless and IOUs written for some of the most expensive restaurants you could name sitting right beside them. While the potential for riches had never been on the top of Joker's priority, the treasures they had been able to find within the palaces being put to funding the heists and little else, the phantom thief could not deny that it was a _strong_ way to bargain. For normal people at least.

"As you can see, I can reward you greatly for helping me out. Will you hear my request?" there was a twinkle in Rias' eyes as she said that, a small, impish smile appearing on her face. On any other, it would be a rather cute feature, a sign of innocent mischief; at that moment, it was the sign of victory in Rias. She knew she had their attention and the redhead was going to use it for all she could. "You see, there is a rather vile man by the name of Riser Phenex. The abrasive sort who's not above treating others as little more than dirt beneath his shoes and women as if they're nothing more than toys to be used for his pleasure. I have the misfortune of being placed in an arranged marriage with such a person."

"An arranged marriage?" Joker let out a growl, the knife moving away from Rias' throat, only for a red gloved fist to slam down on the table before her. Haru's grip upon her axe had softened and it was only quick thinking that prevented her from absently bisecting the table, Joker's smallest nudge having it hit the floor with a resonating clang. "To a man like that? How horrible…"

"You did do your research, didn't you? Knowing just how to prey on her weakness." The leader growled, Rias turning away – no denial. "Make her drop her guard with a little comment about her passed father and then mention a situation similar to her own while she's down. 'There's no way they'll say no in that situation', right?"

"…It wasn't my intention, but that is how it came out. But it's not as if I've faked my situation, I'm truly to be married to Riser to 'preserve out bloodlines'." Came the quiet answer. Joker was momentarily taken aback; the power that Rias had begun with had faded away slightly, revealing more and more desperation within her tone. He had not been expecting that with how she started. "I have tried to find another method in which to force its cancellation, but I fear my choices are starting to thin out. If you can change his heart like you said you could before, make him a better man, then all of this and more will be yours. Anything you could ever imagine, that is what I'm offering to you. Just make him see the error of his ways."

"Of course." Those eyes, those eyes that Noire always pulled out on him when she wanted things to be done. There was simply no defence against them, Joker, rubbing his head with a weary sigh. If he had the strength to, then the phantom thief would've continued to fight, but those eyes spoke far more than was needed to douse the fire in his heart. Noire was a phantom thief just as much as he was and she was wise enough to make her own decisions; if she wanted to assist then Joker wasn't going to fight that decision, even if he disagreed with it. "However, we can't do miracles. If you want to change a person's heart, it requires time, time you may not have. Are you willing to take the risk?"

A thankful sigh came from Rias as she emphatically nodded at Haru's agreement, making movements to push the basket towards them if it weren't for Joker's hand upon the handle preventing its movements. After all, even if he was hesitant about taking on her request, the proper procedures had to be followed; payments were not taken at the start, but the end.

"This is not something we can easily do. After all, we require information to do the things that we do." Joker warned, pulling out his phone and gazing upon the apps displayed. While the vast majority were what you would expect of someone his age, there had been one that had no reason to be there. After all, it did nothing when pressed and had no functionality at all. However, for the first time in a long period, its eye opened once more and a quick tap pulled forth three boxes to fill. We have a name – Riser Phenex. However, for this to be successful, there is more that we must learn. First, where would his most common location be?"

"…That is easily told, but extremely difficult to access. After all, save for the odd rating game, Riser spends the majority of his time in the Phenex mansion and thus, your best bet is there." Rias explained, a frown coming to her lips as she gazed out of the window. "However, as is natural for mansions belonging to a family like his, there are several near-impenetrable defences, as well as the fact that it resides in a realm no typical human could ever hope to enter. If you need to get there, you won't have an easy time."

"We can discuss that issue at another time. Now, we need to ask one more question, a question that admittedly is hard for anyone to answer save for those the question is aimed at… how does he view the world?"

It was a question with no immediate answer. After all, to try to understand the mind of another was always difficult to comprehend and there are only highly specific times when one can truly come to learn how another views the world around them. While it may be easier to comprehend how a person could view the world as their castle or prison, it is much harder to reach the distorted mentality that allowed people to see the world as a space station. Rias' eyes fell closed as she pondered the question, the two phantom thieves stood in silence as they watched the schoolgirl think.

"Riser is a man of lust and pride the peerage that he rules over consists purely of women and there are several rumours that Riser has pushed deals forth through the… renting of these women, to others." The thought sent a shiver down all their spines, especially with what Rias had to add after that statement. "The peerage I speak of is a special connection… or should be. Those who are not the same species as us can be granted special powers in exchange for loyalty; some may treat them as friends, others, as servants. Riser, however, treats them as mere toys to be bartered with. They are strong in their own right, but in fights, they mostly serve as cannon fodder to weaken the enemy so Riser can look even more powerful. With the regeneration and control over the fire of a phoenix, Riser could easily end several battles in a second, but he allows his peerage to be needlessly hurt and the bond formed by being in his peerage means there's little room for disagreement. Perhaps that might be of help to you."

"I think it just might."

* * *

"Damn it, things have gotten busy!" Ren cursed as he rapidly plated up several portions of curry for Haru top ferry out, Lavenza popping through the door and elegantly bringing half of them into the dining area, closely followed by Haru. The Velvet room Attendant had been rather hesitant to join in the work, speaking of more important matters that had to be dealt with, but the sudden influx of hungry people meant that there was no alternative to helping out with the service. Admittedly, the promise of a special meal by Ren had greased the wheels a little bit, but when another batch of orders happened to come in, Lavenza's defences broke. "I haven't even been able to start thinking about the heist."

"Have you heard them all outside? They saw that redheaded girl come in and now they all want to see her again, it's crazy!" Morgana moaned as the cat slinked up on to the counter, watching as Ren rapidly chopped up what needed to be cut for the dishes he needed to prepare. Ren had to do a double-take at that. "Yeah, I know right? She's a real big deal in the local school, I've heard her being talked about like a goddess."

That… kind of made sense. From what little he had been able to hear from the snippets that floated into the kitchen from the chattering students outside, Rias was an extremely talented student and her body certainly earnt her favour with the male portion of the populace. when you combined that with the influence that came with her family name and the control it had over the city and it made sense that she would be viewed as quite the role model. Still, if a small visit from her to a new café was enough to have it filled with customers, then perhaps there was something more than it seemed.

"Any chance of it abating?" Ren questioned as Haru popped in, the black-haired boy frowning as the brunette took the plates offered, receiving a quick shake of the head before Haru disappeared again. It didn't show well on her face, but there were the smallest hints of stress entering her movements; while combat was almost instinctual, their powers as part of the subconscious allowing stamina and endurance beyond human comprehension, it would be overkill to use such an ability in the real world for such a menial job. The cat simply shook his head, moving away from the door when it opened to reveal a couple of girls curiously peeking through. "Damn… are you okay? You're shaking."

"Sorry, couple of the girls managed to catch me. They really are devils, tried to crush me…" Morgana groaned, lying flat upon the worktop. With an appearance like a cat and the unfortunate situation where he could only be understood by a select few, it meant that Morgana had no way to defend himself from the girls' fawning save for a violent strike and it was to be avoided if possible – better not to alienate any potential customers. "Ah, at least they feed me when they're crushing me; it's heaven and hell at the same time!"

"…Suddenly, I don't feel any sympathy." Ren muttered, returning to his diligent work after a low sigh, Morgana merely giving a small harrumph before settling down properly. "Rias Gremory… seeing as she was against the fallen angels, then there's no doubt that she is one of the devils they mentioned and that means this Riser Phenex man is the same. Fallen angels, devils and the person stuck in the middle. Feels like the plot of a bad story."

Devils: creatures of the night designed to tempt humankind away from the perfect path as designed by God himself. None of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts could say they weren't experienced with such creatures, having both negotiated with and utterly destroyed many throughout their journey, but interacting with Rias Gremory had been far different than he had been expecting when he was told there was a chance of coming into contact with devils.

Admittedly, he had taken it from the perspective of humanity's interpretations. The Metaverse's monsters were born from the human subconscious and thus the foul shadows that could be found within were carved from the imagery and beliefs held by humanity of them. That meant that even if they were not as bad in real life as they were portrayed or vice versa, the most common interpretation of them would be used to give birth to shadows and therefore, personae. Those oversimplifications were what the Phantom thieves of Hearts had formed contracts with and fought against, but the truth was far greyer than such creatures would portray if Rias' demeanour meant anything.

"Well, how would a devil generally view the world around them?" Morgana suggested. "If you know what that could be, then maybe you can just try everything until you hit the nail on the head!"

"That wouldn't work." Came the immediate dismissal, Morgana choking slightly as Ren turned briefly to the opening door, Lavenza this time stepping through. It seemed like things were dying down if the time between the girls walking in had reduced. "Rias mentioned it briefly, but the Phenex mansion resides in a 'dimension we can't enter'. No doubt that's where all devils are meant to reside in – Hell. That means we can't just think of how a devil would view humanity, but how a devil would view their fellow devils as well."

Rarely were devil-devil interactions thought about; all that was needed was that they either despised humanity or saw them ambivalently, Heaven's pets to try to lead into the life of sin. Even that wasn't enough insight to produce a proper palace, if one even could be produced from a supernatural being (really, they were just hoping the fact that they had been able to interact with the Metaverse navigator in the first place was enough to prove it would work). If they were humanlike in their thought processes, then it could be anything and all they had to go off was Rias' description of the man to try and interpret the possibilities.

"Someone who uses the woman under him to bolster his reputation and to help deals go through. Someone who is described as a man of 'lust and pride'." When Ren spoke it aloud like that, it felt somewhat familiar. There was no denying the similarities between this Riser Phenex and the vain sports teacher of Shujin Academy, a man who cared for nought save his reputation and lust, who regularly abused the women beneath his power and tossed aside those from rival sports like rotten food. He had taken on the form of Asmodeus, easily indulging himself in the female athletes of the volleyball team with promises of success on his lips and made sure that the male teams failed so it would appear as if his personal tutelage was the reason for the volleyball team's ability. In that situation, he had viewed the Shujin Academy as his castle where he could rule over the slaves known as students – could a similar scene be used again?

But then again, it could also be compared to the pride of a politician, a man willing to do whatever he could to succeed, yet was happy to show himself as a completely honest and clean person to the public. With the thought lodged in his mind that there was nobody who would be able to find out the truth, he believed himself infallible and the public was left blissfully unaware of the truth. _That_ had been a tough heist to deal with and if Riser was anywhere close to being as ingenious as him, things would be more difficult than Ren would've liked.

"…Damn it. Normally we would be able to get _some_ sort of clue." Ren spat. Even the smallest of things could give away what form a place could take. A ship could be deciphered from a throwaway drunken statement about how they intended to steer the country in the right direction. A pyramid could be formed through the belief that the place a person forces themselves to live in will be their tomb. "We need to interact with Riser, or at least be around the actual man. But if we can't access the dimension he lives in…!"

"Finally, things are starting to die down!" Haru sighed as she burst through the door with Lavenza closely behind her, both girls lugging an incredible amount of dishes and cups in their hands. A look of disgust was plastered over Lavenza's face as she rapidly threw the dirty dishes into the sink nearby, brushing herself off with a scoff; the juxtaposition between the solemn and soul-searching girl Ren had seen before and the child who didn't like getting dirty brought the smallest of smiles to Ren's face. "If this keeps up we're going to have to get someone to help out soon. Any closer to figuring out what to do about Rias Gremory's request?"

"Not really. We're going to have ask her about whether we could pay a little… visit to this man, try and scope him out." Ren answered, leaning back against the worktop with folded arms. "Hopefully she has a way to let us enter the place without being detected, or at least without suspicion. There's also tonnes I wish to ask her about what that peerage thing she mentioned… really, just everything."

"I do not know much about this alternate dimension the Gremory mentioned; I too would be quite interested in learning more," Lavenza spoke up, a messy plate being replaced by her typical grimoire as she began to gently flick through. "My Master seems to have some knowledge of the dimension from what little I've been able to glean from him, but he's being naturally tight-lipped."

"He's just a tight-lipped man," Morgana spoke, leaping to the top of a cupboard with a proud stance. "Right now, there's only one way we can continue! You need to find that Gremory girl and ask her to bring us to Riser!"

"Do we have a way to do so? I don't remember her ever giving us a contact number." Ren pointed out, a sudden spark of memory flashing in Haru's eyes as she pulled out a small piece of paper, an intricate design drawn upon the front. "What is that?"

"Rias said if we wanted to contact her, we just needed to use this…Somehow."


	6. Flames of a Phenex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On heists and heat.

The sudden teleportation that suddenly took over was not the sort of thing that Haru and Ren were used to. It was incredibly clean and simple in the way it brought them to a new location, only the light of a magical circle passing over their bodies flashing before they were in a completely different locale to their café. The teleportation lacked the slight sense of discomfort that came with movement into palaces or Mementos, the odd crimson warping that filled their vision as a world ethereal made itself known to them… it was kind of disappointing. Well, that was what happened when you had to make teleportation a common form of transport; you got rid of all of the quirks to make it as efficient as possible.

Ren gently slapped the side of his head. Now wasn't the time for pondering the wonders of teleportation. No, it was time to step away from the blond man gently drinking tea upon the sofa, a hand absently twirling Rias' hair as he gazed annoyed upon the intruders. The location wasn't one that either Ren or Haru was familiar with, not with how Victorian it was in its design. Considering the kinds of people it held though and the uniforms they were wearing … either someone lived in one of the most European houses in Japan or this was somehow part of a _school_.

"Hoh? It seems as if we have some uninvited guests, my dear Rias. And from the stench surrounding them… it appears as if they're _human_." The blonde man remarked, removing the hand that was idling within the girl's crimson locks as he placed his tea to the side. The way he spoke simply oozed of pride and the way he spoke the utterance 'human'… it wasn't possible to get any more disdain into that word alone. Ren didn't need to hear any more to let a frown appear on his face and a glance to the side showed that Haru wasn't exactly the most amused either. "Rias' Queen, your tea is definitely some of the best I've tasted, but it's hard to savour its flavour when it's tainted by the scent of humans. If you want, I can rid you of their presence and we can return to more… _pleasant_ discussions."

"There will be no casualties Riser; they are personal guests and I will not forgive you if they come to any harm," Rias warned, suddenly rising to her feet to avoid the fingers that danced far too close to a more intimate area. So, this was the man that Rias had been talking about? From his actions so far, the description they had been given wasn't too far off… nothing to prove he was as extreme as Rias described, but the man clearly enjoyed talking. "Our discussions are over; I have no intention to ever consider a marriage like this regardless of what my family has claimed."

"But can you truly say that? After all, this isn't just about family politics – the fate of devil-kind themselves is in this marriage." Riser tutted, turning away with a smug smile upon his face. "After all, the lineages of pure-blooded devils are slowly being eroded as we speak thanks to the last war. This marriage was made so we continue our lines without corruption, without taint. Your family has agreed to this just as much as mine did."

"And I believe they are rushing too much into this. I _will_ take a husband when I am ready, but it will be of my own volition. I am fully aware of the duties I hold towards my house as an heiress, but I will fulfil them on my terms; my husband will not be someone of the likes of _you._ " Rias declared in return, the smallest flash of darkness appearing upon Riser's face before he too rose, the smug visage returning full force as he moved to embrace Rias by the chin. Ren merely folded his arms in annoyance – it was like watching a soap opera and Ren never liked those kinds of shows.

"Someone of the likes of me? And do you remember what that kind of person is?" Riser near whispered in a dark voice, Rias remaining stalwart even as the blonde man continued. "Someone of the likes of me is the face of the Phenex family and I most certainly _won't_ accept such a stain on my family's honour as being rejected."

"My, is it just me, or do you feel as if we've intruded into something quite personal?" Haru gently remarked behind her hand with a small amount of heat Ren responding with a small nod. If it were any other time, then he probably would've either already left or tried to stop such a blatant amount of self-entitlement, but it was such a brilliant opportunity for information gathering that leaving then would've been a waste. As it was, all he could do was take hold of Haru's hand, watching the small smile that came to her face regardless of the anger that came from such uncaring actions. Whispered as they were, her statement didn't manage to escape the attention of Riser, the man's sudden glare doing nothing in the face of Haru.

"Hmph. Perhaps there are better places to hold such a conversation. Why don't we go back to the underworld and hold this in a more private setting?" the blond man suggesting, though it didn't fool any within the room for a moment. The second that Rias left, it was questionable whether she would be seen in the human world again for a good while and if she ever did return, what was the likelihood that she would remain single? "Of course, you being my intended and all, I see no reason why you would deny such a request… even if I must immolate everyone within this room to do so."

"Such action will not be necessary. As I am here on Sirzechs' orders as an overseer, I cannot let such brazen conflict occur." Ah, so that was what the white-haired maid stood in the corner was. Considering the décor surrounding them, Ren had simply assumed that she was some sort of servant, but it was clear from the way the tension within the room suddenly shifted that there was something far more important to her position; within seconds, Riser had backed away and his 'charming' smile returned full force.

"Well, what else is there to do but back down when the strongest queen asks you to?" Riser sighed with a shrug. "With someone as mighty as you, even I feel a little bit scared. But still, having these _humans_ be privy to such a private conversation is needless; either they are removed or I shall remove them myself."

"Oh, so we finally get a chance to properly talk," Ren remarked, earning himself a glare from Riser and a more pointed look from the white-haired maid. Even with the power she held, however, there was still an image he needed to portray; confidence remained on his face as he slowly walked forward, fully aware of the students watching from the sidelines. "After all, we're not just here randomly. In fact, Riser Phenex – I've been wanting to meet you. I'd say it was a pleasure, but I wouldn't want to be a liar."

A look of absolute disgust made itself clear upon Riser's face as Rias was gently withdrawn from his grip, Ren giving the girl a twirl before taking Riser's hand in what was clearly an over-enthusiastic shake. As soon as the black-haired boy withdrew his hand, Riser let a small amount of flame dance upon his palm, holding it as if he had touched literal poison.

"Do not take my hand so easily _human._ I don't know why you're here, but you've interrupted a very important meeting. Leave now, or leave as ashes." Came the threat between gritted teeth, a hand going to his chin before Ren gave a quick shake of his head. "Oh? I didn't think humans could be so foolish. I guess that's what I deserve for being the optimistic person I am."

"I can't leave yet, not while I still have some work to do. After all, I've been asked here for a very special reason." Ren replied, casually taking a seat upon the sofa that the man had been using moments before, pushing his fingers together. "Something about a marriage being forced to preserve bloodlines, something about a man who doesn't know how to say no and something about how badly treated the people beneath him are. Tell me, sound familiar at all?"

"And what would you expect to know of devil politics? Those words make it sound as if you're hoping to interfere." Riser retorted with a chuckle, casually tossing a fireball in his hand. "Let me say this now, this is _not_ something you can meddle with. This is a marriage for the sake of the devils' future and if some human thinks he can have some sway, then you'd better prepare for the consequences."

"Oh? Is that a threat?" indeed, and Riser was perfectly happy to go through with it if it weren't for the black-haired boy's finger pointing off to the side, directly towards a dangerous-looking maid. At soon as their eyes met, Riser let the flame fizzle out with a growl, the hand instead becoming a fist. "That's what I thought. Right now, just consider me a detective after answers. Let's say that this marriage has to go through, no matter what Rias here wants, as heinous as that sounds. Why you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why _you?_ If this is for the preservation of devils like I've heard, then surely any devil with pure blood would be suitable. Can't Rias just choose from them?" Ren's remark caused a small amount of frustration to appear on Riser's face. He was playing with fire, quite literally with the abilities that were being displayed, but so long as he still had the threat of the maid behind him, Ren could go further than he normally would've been able to. Fortunately, the man leapt right into his trap.

"This is a special arrangement between our families; it has been in place since birth, there won't be any changes to it at this point." Riser declared, puffing his chest out with a smug grin. "Besides, who wouldn't want a chance with me? I have the money to grant whatever Rias may desire, I hold the prestige and fame that someone of her class deserves. There are very few who would be willing to gift their wife with as much as I would to Rias."

"A shame. So that idea's out of the bag then." Ren sighed, slouching down further on the sofa until he was lying down with his head on the armrest. "Well, I don't suppose there's some sort of alternative then? Some little loophole, some small wording issue that we can abuse to get her out of this then? Miss Maid?"

"My name is _Grayfia_. Though there are no loopholes available, there has been a compromise suggested. A rating game." The maid, Grayfia, declared, Ren giving a sarcastic disappointed reaction through the gasps of the others within the room. "Sirzechs has decided that if you are to prove yourself successful in a rating game, then you will have demonstrated the required amount of resolve to have this marriage dissolved."

"Oh? That's a perfectly reasonable alternative to me. Measly humans like you wouldn't understand, but the battles that I have been involved in have always resulted in my victory. Compared to you, who have no experience when it comes to rating games… well, there's just no denying it, is there?" Riser muttered, glaring at the gathered students stood stoically by the side. "And if these are all you have in terms of servants… then yes, my victory has already been determined. After all… I have all fifteen pieces I can – a full set."

And then from within an orange magical circle, a blaze brought forth fifteen women into the room, all gazing towards the far smaller set of students with an imperial gaze. After all, their numbers made them far superior to some random devils who had never experienced a single rating game in their lives yet. With but a single beckoning finger, a purple-haired lady stepped forward from within their numbers, standing before her leader as he gently took her chin and easily kissed her, regardless of how close Rias stood. It was a disgusting sight to see, something that Haru couldn't stand to look at any longer no matter if Rias was taking it in stoic silence.

"You absolute pig! You think that's acceptable when you're trying to convince someone to marry you!? How despicable!" the brunette cried, all but ready to pull out her axe and carve her thoughts into the man's chest. It didn't seem to shake Riser, however – why would it, when all he saw Haru and himself as was measly insects to be crushed beneath his boot?

"It proves a point, doesn't it? I have a full set of warriors on my side, perfectly willing to follow my every command no matter how outlandish or even deprived it may be." Riser boasted, his words sending warning alarms through Ren's mind. It was why he didn't have as much of a reaction when the blond man began to grope his servant, her face contorting in… some emotion as he rubbed her nipple without a single care. "Love is war, and on this battlefield, I'm the far superior commander. With just one word, these women will attack the harshest of enemies, brave the most torturous of lands; can you claim the same?"

"Of course! After all, I have a special trick up my sleeve that you'll never see coming Riser. I'll be more than glad to accept your challenge." Rias declared, a resolution in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Perhaps it was since she actually had a chance to escape her marriage, or maybe it was the cocky smile that Ren sent in her direction – either way, new energy was in the redhead and it made Riser scoff.

"Very well then, we shall reconvene when the rating game is ready. Until that day… Mira." Ren gasped slightly, throwing out his arm to block the wooden staff that was about to smash his face in. the blue-haired girl holding it seemed somewhat surprised by the fact that Ren had been able to defend himself. The strength behind the blow was far more than any normal human would be able to take, that was for certain, which was why it was a shock when Ren turned his hand, taking a hold of the shaft and throwing it along with its wielder back into the group they came from. Needless to say, their intimidating posing was interrupted when the devil came barrelling into their numbers, but it didn't stop Riser from trying to make a fearsome exit as he spoke through the flames. "You should take better care of your clients, before they find themselves involved with something they cannot handle."

"…Very well then. Seeing as the rating game option has been determined, a grace period of ten days for training has been agreed upon due to differences in resources and experience. On the tenth day, you will return to this room where you will be teleported to the rating game arena." Grayfia declared, looking with disdain to the scorched area where Riser's magical circle once was. "Now, might I be introduced to your guests? You seem to not be bothered by having them witness such a personal event after all."

"Ah, yes. You two wouldn't know about anyone here, would you?" Rias answered, turning to where Ren was forced to sit up by Haru so she could place herself primly by his side. "My Peerage, those reincarnated as devils to serve as my support, are in order Akeno, Kiba and Koneko. They are referred to as my Queen, my Knight and my Rook respectively. As for Grayfia, she is the Queen of my brother, renowned as the strongest Queen of them all. Everyone, this is Ren and Haru, two of those phantoms I was speaking about before."

They didn't make much of an impression for devils. The lone boy of the group, the one called Kiba, gave a small wave and a smile, however, strained it was. The shorter of the two girls, Koneko, barely even reacted to the introduction, instead staring at the point where Riser had disappeared as well, while the black-haired older girl, Akeno, took on a beautiful smile. Sure, if he was a fellow student, they most likely would've made a far more impressive image to Ren, but as they were, there wasn't much to look at for now.

It was the maid that Ren lingered on, if only for a single second longer. Draped in a blue dress and stood perfectly still on the other side of the room, you wouldn't believe there was anything odd to be found in the grey-haired woman save for the fact that she was… you, know, a maid. However, the aura around her was far too chilling to ignore, as if even looking at her wrong would result in you being a Popsicle – a glance to Haru had the two communicating in a second. No agitating Grayfia. It was vastly different from the feeling of lightning that came from Akeno, or energy like Koneko and Rias.

"Pleasure. Well, now _that_ lovely meeting has come to a close, I feel like I know everything I need to know." Ren remarked, a look of confusion appearing on both Rias and Grayfia's faces as he made a pointed expression to his partner. Haru was about to go the same way until she replayed the conversation in her mind, a burst of energy entering her stance. "It all starts to make sense now, doesn't it?"

"Right! We can enter the palace with this, if I have the correct word in mind…" Haru declared, the cup of tea that she had been given by Akeno delicately placed to the side as she stood with grace. Her words did little to placate the confusion in the surrounding devils, a blush coming to her face as soon as she realised it. "Ah, my apologies. We have been looking for a specific keyword, one that could only be given by Riser himself that would allow us to expose his view of the world. Now that we have heard him speak… I do believe we have exactly the keyword we need to change his mind!"

"Change his mind…? I highly doubt that there will be anything to change his mind. Riser Phenex is a stubborn man, as are his family and Lady Rias' own. To cause any change as an outside influence, you would have to act drastically." Grayfia commented, her expression turning stern for a moment. "I can sense that you are not ordinary humans, not with how you were able to counter a devil's attack, but even your strength would not be enough to challenge so many people of their strength. You are better off restraining yourself and allowing Lady Rias to take the rating game."

"Oh… you wouldn't be wise underestimating us." Ren countered, taking Haru's hand as they moved towards the doorway. Considering that they had been teleported through the handy little leaflet Haru had been given, Ren had no idea where he was at the moment and thus, how to get back home. They didn't need to know that however – ruining his dramatic exit wasn't necessary. "After all. We've done greater things than you can imagine. This? This will be simple. We just need one tiny favour…"

* * *

"Ten days huh… not the month deadlines we're used to, but we can make this work," Morgana muttered, the cat lounging upon the bed as his eyes closed in contemplation. "Considering how little action we've come across save for reconnaissance, all of the supplies we have should be good enough for the heist. So long as what you're predicted keyword turns out to be right, then there's nothing stopping us from striking out immediately."

"I must admit… I have had little interaction with the Palaces beyond Mementos. This will be a valuable learning experience." Lavenza remarked, her grip surprisingly tight around the Grimoire as she spoke. "I have checked over my records and all my personae have been prepared; I have no objections to a journey into the Palace at this time."

"With this magic circle, then we'll be teleported as close as possible to the Phenex mansion without tripping their warning alarms. Once we've entered the underworld, we'll have to immediately enter the Palace to prevent detection. Find the treasure, work out an escape route, and then prepare a calling card." Ren declared, throwing the piece of paper onto the duvet between them. Such an inconspicuous thing, able to break the barrier between worlds and take them to a completely different realm most of humanity was unaware of… if it weren't for the fact that their phones were capable of doing the same thing, it would've been hard to believe. "Haru, have you placed the closed sign up?"

"Yep. Ready for action if everyone else is." The brunette called back, cracking her knuckles in a decidedly un-ladylike manner before a demure smile appeared upon her face. "I haven't been able to pent much stress since the last time we were attacked, so this should be fun!"

Haru tried to hold back the drop of sweat that threatened to fall when he heard that, making a point to ignore it as he placed his hand upon the paper. If that was how Haru was viewing this 'trip', then who was he to question it? As soon as the black-haired boy's fingers placed pressure upon the paper, a light glow began to come over, it one spared between each phantom thief before Ren spoke the password.

"Enter." Then their surroundings were swapped for a much more natural appearance, the bedroom fading away to be replaced by luscious forest, far from what one would typically imagine the underworld to look like. There was even a shining moon in an unnaturally coloured sky, which if the name 'underworld' was to be taken lightly, seemed rather out of place. They weren't here to admire the surroundings however, for the mansion sitting in the distance was in their sightline, just as promised. "Right, let's get this show on the road. After all, Riser Phenex, who commonly stays at the Phenex mansion, sees the world as… a _battlefield_."

The world warped, crimson and black covering their faces as reality was replaced by the conceptual, the land twisting before their eyes into something completely different. By the time that their sight cleared, their normal clothes had been replaced with a Phantom thief of Hearts' garb, Mona stretching his arms as he got used to being in his bipedal form for a moment. A gentle hand came up to the navy butterfly mask that appeared upon Lavenza's face, the Velvet Room attendant giving a small smile. Now, upon her first heist, she truly was a member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

"Something tells me… this won't be as easy as we expected." Noir spoke up, pushing her hat upward for a better view of the field before them, gazing at the impressive fortress of stone that stood before them. It was remarkably easy considering that the trees that had once masked their presence had disappeared, leaving them completely exposed upon the barren field save for a few boulders that dotted the area. Shooting behind the nearest protection, they all breathed a silent sigh of relief when the masked soldier passing by returned to its patrol, passing off their noise as the breeze. "We'll need to head into the fortress, but there are many soldiers patrolling around…"

"With such a large number, it would be foolish to attempt a conflict. We should focus on passing them at the moment." Butterfly declared, hovering her hand above her Grimoire. No touch was needed to have the pages start flicking by themselves, settling upon a page bearing a lion-esque creature that buzzed with unrivalled energy. "Zio!"

All on the battlefield at that moment suddenly turned at the sound of a vicious lightning bolt soaring down from the sky, a clearly unnatural phenomenon. With the soldiers distracted, it provided a perfect scenario for the Phantom thieves to breeze past, the occasional boulder acting as firm hiding place for when they strayed a little too close and another distraction needed to be formed. They were just about to pass the gates when Noir was forced to tilt her head to the side, lest it receive a bullet straight through it.

"Who are you!? Intruders, on Riser Phenex's Territory?" one of the soldiers called out, the Phantom Thieves freezing as they slowly turned round to the gas-masked soldiers. "State your intentions; otherwise I'll have to resort to deadly force!"

"Don't you know? We're the Phantom Thieves that everyone's talking about!" Mona proudly declared in return, a cutlass appearing in his hand as the others made to withdraw their weapons. "It didn't quite draw the surprise that he had been expecting, the cat's rolling his eyes when all he got was silence. "Right, right, a completely different world to ours. Well, we're kind of busy right now, so if you could just let us through, that would be great. Thanks."

"Those who pose a threat to our commander die! In the name of Riser Phenex!" and then suddenly, the soldiers melted down within their clothes to darkness, reforming into a completely different creature as several Twilight prostitutes stood before the Phantom thieves. If they dragged this on too long, it was bound that news was going to spread; they would have to finish it fast, or risk the entire thing going south. Fortunately, they had faced such creatures before, Joker pulling upon his gloves as he stepped forward.

"If you're going to be so confident… you better have the skills to back it up!" the sound of guns firing filled the air, a grenade launcher and pistol firing recklessly into a pair of the Twilight Prostitutes that killed them near instantly. A weakness to gun-based attacks meant that so long as the Phantom Thieves had bullets to hand, and they most certainly did considering that they never ran out, the battle would be over in short time. While she may not have a weapon that could constitute a gun, Butterfly still was not idle; in such a barren field where nothing could grow, a copious amount of dust coated the floor; a garu from her tome, however, had that dust whipped into a fierce tornado, blinding any who came into contact with it. "Nice, get through the gate!"

As the final bullet tore through the head of the guards, the gates slammed shut behind them, the Phantom Thieves breathing a sigh of relief. That relief only lasted for a moment however as Ren struggled for breath, Noir looking weak upon her legs as she glanced around their surroundings.

"It's so hot in here, so much fire…" the girl muttered, her hat off her head so she could use it as a makeshift fan. It appeared as if the very walls were lined with flames, casting an angry red upon the stone brick that built up the fortress before them. A strange mattered crawled across the walls, with several doors leading to the unknown; how the wood withstood the immense heat could only be put down to the oddities that came with the subconscious. "I don't know how long I can stand his kind of heat."

"Let's see how far we can get into this place. Hopefully, there'll be a safe room where we can relax." Mona panted, the power of Zorro bursting to life momentarily along with Butterfly's ice to send a cool breeze surrounding them, both humans sighing; without his additional personae at his side, Ren and Haru's elements meant they held little to combat the intense heat of the Palace. "We should probably avoid fighting, we don't want to exhaust ourselves. Joker, it looks like things are up to you – which way are we going?"

"…Let's start here." The thief in black muttered, sliding through the right-hand door followed closely by his companions. He had to pause for a moment, taken aback by the multitude of plaques that adorned the walls of the opulent, closer inspection showing the warped writing clearer. "A Plaque to commemorate the Phenexes and their significant donation of their tears to the hospitals of the Underworld. They donated their tears to a hospital?"

"Well, their names are Phenex, right? Phenex, as in Phoenix – if they're named after the creatures, maybe they share the same abilities as them?" Mona suggested with a shrug. "They're meant to have tears that can heal most wounds, so these Phenex people probably either can similarly use their tears or have found a manner to replicate the effect."

"Many of these plaques share similar sentiments; either of the Phenex family, or Riser's own achievements." Butterfly remarked, the smallest hint of disdain within her words. The difference between those which belonged to Riser himself compared to that of the Phenex family was vast, so few that the man could call his own dotted between the numerous accolades of his family members. Those that were for Riser, however, could not be missed – not when they were so incredibly elaborate and large compared to their counterparts. "Such an unsightly display. Success in Rating Games, something that means nothing when you hold the power to indefinitely regenerate. Yet here they are, being thrown into the spotlight as if they held even more importance than the others."

"Hide." It was little more than a whisper from Joker, but almost immediately, a guard rushed into the room to find absolutely nothing out of place. The soldier brandished its rifle as it slowly stepped down the corridor, checking every nook and cranny for any sign of interference. A small tut escaped the black-haired thief, no matter how silent he was attempting to be; cramped into the corner as he was, he was precariously close to the flames licking the heels of his feet. The constant flames throughout the area meant there was little room for error, the lack of shadow meaning any sign of black would be immediate cause for concern to the guards when everything was so brightly lit. As soon as the soldier stalked out of the room the Phantom Thieves reconvened in the middle of the room, another pair of spells once more bringing a cool breeze. "Damn it, this is going to get ridiculous. What if they decide to stay for longer? Are we just going to hide until we roast?"

"I'm not seeing any other option though… If we want to reach the treasure, then we're going to have to stand the heat." Mona countered, the cat folding his arms out of annoyance. Perhaps it might've looked a little more intimidating and tough if it weren't for the way that he drooped in place, the girls not that much better. "There's a door here, we should be able to move on. Might as well hurry before the end of our spells where we're taking the full brunt of the heat."

Fortunately or unfortunately depending, the corridor on the other side held a variety of different displays, whether they be cabinets proudly displaying over the top awards or contracts that were made between parties grossly in the Phenex's favour. While they would make a normal person hurl from the sheer amount of arrogance they exuded, they did make for momentary protection from the sightlines of the soldiers that patrolled the pathway, a cross junction meaning that the Phantom Thieves had to slip down the corridor before they returned looked down.

"There's something wrong with this room." Was the only thing that Noir got to speak before a portcullis slammed down before the doorway, locking them in tight. They barely had the time to draw their weapons in alarm before they found themselves surrounded by guns pointed towards them, the sound of heels clicking against stone growing gradually louder. "And if there are this any guards, then…"

" ** _Ho? What have we here? Some children and their pet thinking they can so callously enter my abode."_** a distorted voice spoke, golden eyes gazing down at the trapped thieves with clear disregard. Ren couldn't help but scan the man's appearance; while physically, the being before them bore a similarity to the man they knew to be Riser Phenex, the real-world form of him probably lacked the general's outfit that this version of him bore, adorned with a multitude of medals shining in the light of one thousand burning flames. He was not alone, for on all sides stood his peerage, though they too bore their own, though far more scandalous than could be considered reasonable, militant outfits. With a single click of his finger, the representations of Riser's peerage stood to attention, a smirk appearing on their leader's face as he callously placed his hands upon the same woman he had before. **_"I will admit, for shrimp such as yourself, you have done well. However, we cannot have people roaming around without my permission – those who break this rule shall find themselves thrown in the prison!"_**

"You wouldn't be the first to try something like that." Joker retorted, flipping his knife in his hand as he allowed a smirk to appear on his face. "But we're kind of here for a job and it would be a shame to let it go unfinished, wouldn't you say? I don't suppose it would be simple enough to just let us get things done and then disappear?"

" ** _A Job? I see... so you are here to try and stop my marriage to that Rias brat."_** the shadow of Riser spat, his stance suddenly becoming far tighter as he fiercest frown he could form appeared upon his face. As soon as they caught sight of his displeasure, the peerage surrounding immediately prepared for combat, weapons drawn as their King grew to his full height. **_"The deal has already been sealed! If she thinks she can avoid her defeat at my hands, then she's out of her mind! Look at these precious soldiers, my own personal army! Even my weakest can crush her entire peerage beneath her thumb."_**

"Don't you feel any remorse?! Forcing someone to go against their desires and marry someone they hold no love for?" Noir growled, her finger itching upon the trigger. If her anger grew any more, it was clear that the room would soon be rocked by explosions. "This isn't even necessary! All she requests is the freedom to choose who she is wed to, you already have enough women to _satisfy_ you!"

" ** _This decision is set, she has no place challenging it."_** Came the uncaring response from Riser with a shrug. **_"Her only duty is to her superiors and we have decided that she is to be wed to me. The only reason she is even being given this much leeway is that she's the heiress and that only came about by sheer coincidence as her brother took on the role of Lucifer. Little girls like her only need to listen to those who are superior and nothing you do can change it! Mira, Mihae, Xuelan! Show these intruders what happens to those who disobey those who are greater!"_**

As the girls stepped forward, their forms melting down and reforming into far more monstrous equivalents, Joker gave one more flip of his knife before he settled into a more combat-ready stance.

"Okay then, let's rock!"


	7. Fanning the flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On deals and drinks.

"Okay then, let's rock!"

The trio of monsters that appeared before the Phantom Thieves were all ones that were at least somewhat familiar. From the shadow called Mihae came a sweet Beguiling Girl, Xeulan became the Girl of the Hanging Tree and Mira, the girl who had been ordered to attack Ren, took the form of a Battle Fiend. Yes, a reasonable selection of enemies, but ones that they had already found the weaknesses for.

That was one of the few good things about this situation, a smile appearing on Joker's face as he placed a hand to his face. It was obvious that Riser wouldn't have any clue as to why the Phantom thieves were; he was a high ranking devil, why would he ever need to poke his head into the affairs of the humans? All he knew was that there were annoying humans who had somehow managed to enter his palace and they would fall at his hand. The man had no idea what he was coming up against.

The disdain on Riser's face became clear the moment he sent out his troops, only for it to change into momentary shock the second that a monstrous dress appeared, no signs of a wearer save for the gloves that held up a delicate ballroom mask. He had witnessed nothing like it before; it was no illusion and Riser had heard of no magic that could achieve such a thing so effortlessly, yet the human girl had been able to call upon it with seemingly no effort. Was this a Sacred Gear he hadn't come across?

" _ **Tch. It'll take more than a fancy show to beat me!"**_ The shadow growled as he threw his hand forward, the three transformed members of his peerage charging towards the Phantom Thieves with a distorted cry. If they fought they could beat him, an invincible high ranking devil, with a _dress_ of all things, then they had another thing coming!

"Arsene, Heat Riser!" Joker yelled, a trio of red, green and purple flames twisting around Noir's being while she and Milady avoided the attempted attacks of their opponents.

Milady may not have made much of an impression upon them, but Arsene's demonic form rising from within Joker's mask certainly did. Flaring out his wings with a savage laugh, the true phantom thief's shackled form made the shadows pause, their commander gritting his teeth.

" _ **What did I tell you!? Get them! No human could ever match your might!"**_ Riser yelled, the trepidation within his subordinates immediately disappearing as the Girl of the Hanging Tree released a torrent of flame from her mouth, quickly followed by the Battle Fiend and their blade.

"Noir, you know what to do?" Joker muttered, barely even paying attention to the fight as he easily evaded the incoming fireball, letting it splash against the charging Battle Fiend coming from behind with little effect. While the beguiling girl may not have any weakness of strength against flames, the Battle Fiend was strong against fire and the Girl of the Hanging Tree repelled it. Trying to combat them with fire was a foolish task, especially considering who the shadows belonged to.

"Of course. They shall behold my power! Rush them, Milady!" the brown-haired thief cried with a pose, the persona immediately responding to the orders of the one who called upon her.

The impression Riser had of the summon was completely transformed when the bottom of Milady's dress opened like curtains to reveal red metal, a quick wave of her black fan causing the metal to part as well to reveal the utter armoury of weaponry hidden within. Human weaponry was not an area that many devils found themselves well versed in save for the more primitive kind of tools such as swords and staffs, but one didn't have to be a genius to recognise when they were in grave danger.

"Strike one: you underestimated us just because we weren't devils," Joker muttered as the sounds of Gatling guns revving and missile preparing to launch filled the area, a dark smirk appearing on his face. "Strike two: you let me power up Noir without trying to do anything about it. And strike three…"

For the briefest of moments, there was silence, pure silence. The shadows stopped as Riser let an eyebrow rise, his anger visible growing by the second, much to the Phantom Thieves' leader's entertainment.

" _ **Well!?"**_

"...Strike three: You let your people listen to me talk rather than move out of the firing line."

" _ **What!?"**_

But it was too late, the fierce gunfire of over a hundred different types of weapon ripping through both the sweet Beguiling Girl and the Girl of the Hanging Tree, only the Battle Fiend able to dodge at the very last second from the strike. Being shadows with a distinct weakness to gun-based attacks, it was over for them in little more than a second, torn apart into the disgusting black substance from which they were born.

Watching as their allies were completely torn apart from the relentless amount of bullets, the Battle Fiend quickly bore their sword once more, preparing to dash in if it weren't for the small cat-like creature that appeared before it. Naturally, the first reaction to that was to slice at it, though Mona would not be so easily beaten, jumping on the metal and kicking the Battle Fiend directly in the face.

"Zorro, it's our turn!" and with that call, Mona leapt over the shoulder of the suddenly present outlaw, his rapier carving out his signature initial. The movement whipped up a mighty gust of wind that blew over the Battle Fiend, its strength more than enough to bring down the shadow; while it may not have shared the gun based weaknesses of the others, it was far more vulnerable to Mona's speciality. "Consider that strike four: ignoring someone like me!"

" _ **Impossible, how did you-!?"**_ Riser growled, looking to the other members of his peerage that were just as confused about Mona's sudden appearance. After all, he and the other girl in the intruders' group had been standing directly alongside Noir and Joker, they surely wouldn't have been forgotten about so easily as fellow intruders on their master's property.

"I suppose you could consider this strike five, to keep a theme." A gentle voice teased, delicate finger flicking through a Grimoire as a mandrake danced around Butterfly.

The glow that still surrounded the persona didn't speak well for the peerage, nor did the fact that the blonde girl's presence completely failed to register to any of them. Delicately uncrossing her legs and passing the dumbfounded guards on all sides.

"You allowed yourself to fall under the effect of Tentarafoo, allowing me to confuse your minds long enough to believe that we did not exist." The velvet coloured assistant remarked calmly, slamming the Grimoire shut with a single hand at the spine.

"… _ **Heh. I'll give you this much; for humans, you're at least somewhat interesting."**_ The shadow form of Riser scoffed as he folded his arms, a sneer firmly plastered upon his features. _**"But you made one major mistake. Now that you've revealed your little tricks and mind games, they won't work anymore. Strategy 101, don't tell your enemies your plans! Everyone, all at once!"**_

A brief flash of uncertainty and fear appeared on Joker's face, a single drop of sweat falling down his brow before suddenly, a wild barrage of returning gunfire and fire consumed them in a hellish blaze. Riser watched with glee in his eyes as the rest of his peerage and the guards in place lit up the intruders with reckless abandon.

In Riser's mind, the sacrifices of Mihae, Xuelan and Mira were acceptable considering that it had managed to bait the idiotic humans into revealing their arsenals, leaving them vulnerable. While the humans had been entertaining for a brief moment with their tricks, they ultimately fell like any other opponent who came against Riser, nothing left after the final bullet apart from dust on the floor.

" _ **Hmph. They were fools in the end. Come, leave the guards to clean up the mess."**_ Riser muttered with a weak wave of his arm, the remains of his peerage dutifully following along after their master. The guards soon followed after, very little actual mess having been made during the evisceration of the intruders.

Thank goodness for that too, as it would've been rather difficult to cling to the rooftops as they were if they also had to deal with any large injuries.

"Ah, it's even hotter up there than it is on ground level!" Mona groaned as they released their hold, falling to the ground with barely a scratch on their bodies. Ironically enough, everyone was successful in landing gracefully save for the feline thief, Mona collapsing onto his back. "Urgh, but at least we got the guards off our tails…"

"If they believe us dead, then it is likely they will have their guard lowered. I assume they will relax their guard, making assessing the area an easier task." Butterfly declared, letting her eyes fall shut for a moment before the smallest smile appeared on her lips. "As it is now, I do not detect any immediately threatening presences in our vicinity. We can proceed with caution."

That was the thing with people. So long as they didn't have a reason to, they very often didn't look up. After all, in a place like his own Palace, what need was there for Riser to look up? It wasn't as if there was typically anything to see there. With their attacks blinding them, the guards and peerage had no way to see the Phantom Thieves leaping up at the final moment.

"Right. Then we should focus on finding where the treasure is and a good way out." Noir said, brushing off her hands before looking around the room. "We came in through that door, right? There were multiple paths, we should try some of the others."

Alright, let's go." Joker replied with a wave of his hand, leading the way after a cautious glance to where Riser had gone through. Their ruse was enough this time, but they hadn't seen what the shadow was capable of; they had to be prepared for the full might of a phoenix at any time.

* * *

"Trophies, fire and… nothing else." There was absolutely nothing to differentiate the various rooms and corridors save for the details inscribed upon the gaudy trinkets everywhere. While the Palace itself was clearly based on a fortress, which had little need for variation, the extent to which everything was similar was almost suspicious. "We can't just be walking in circles, can we?"

"We have been proceeding through the Palace. There is no ability upon us that would cause the levels of confusion that we used against the shadows." Butterfly stated, looking to the walls with a contemplative face. "I believe there is a reason for why there seems to be little else in these halls. Many of the targets you and the wildcard faced were experienced, putting into place long term schemes with multiple facets. Even Futaba Sakura, whose Palace was formed as a result of her suicidal mindset, was stained greatly for the majority of her life. These corrupted and negative thoughts are the building blocks upon which Palaces are formed and the greater in number such thoughts are, the more complex the resulting Palace."

"Riser isn't that old. I'd say he was around our age, maybe a little more." Joker mused aloud, his eyes widening behind his mask. "Plus, no matter how much his shadow would like to think about himself, Riser isn't really good at planning. Tricking him was easy and he focuses way too much on the short term; his only goals are marrying Rias and winning. Compared to the others, the level of negativity and corruption is far smaller."

"So, Riser's palace is built with less variety because he's less corrupted than everyone else we've dealt with." Noir summed up with a thoughtful expression, her face falling a moment later. "Well, that's nice to know, but it doesn't help us figure out where the treasure could be kept if everything looks the same."

"On the contrary, it makes our life much easier in one important way," Joker said, scanning the area with a critical eye. "The fact that Riser's Palace is simpler than the others doesn't mean he isn't going to keep his treasure as secure as possible; he's not going to risk having it lying around in all of these rather open rooms. The one area that looks different, that has _any_ sort of special features, that has to be where he's keeping it."

The only issue with that was ensuring they didn't _start_ walking around in circles. While they had only been exploring for a limited amount of time, it would only get difficult to recognise which halls and rooms they had traversed as they continued. Combine that with the excessive heat draining away their stamina and the situation had the potential to become awkward.

Letting her axe hit the floor, Noir paused to catch her breath, the air itself burning her lungs as she tried to regain her energy. It was fortunate that she did, however, for the luxurious carpet decorating the ground was no match for the weapon; as the axe clattered against the floor, it cut away at the fabric, Joker's eyes widening behind his mask.

"…Joker?" the female phantom thief questioned, only for the answer to take the form of Joker reaching down to the ground beneath her with a growing smirk. "What have you found?"

"Of course… an outward appearance of bluster and pride while his true feelings…." He began, gently ushering Noir back before a large tug threw a huge chunk of carpet away so he could pry up the door beneath with his knife. "…Are hidden underneath. Tch, perhaps we underestimated this Riser."

With only the narrowest of gaps between it and the rest of the floor, the trapdoor was near impossible to discern, especially considering it was all hidden by the carpet as well. To the lax eye, one would be forgiven for mistaking it for a simple crack in the ground; Palaces were far too well maintained for such a thing, however, meaning there had to be a reason behind its existence.

It was the only chance they had to escape what appeared to be unending copies of the same room; it was only natural that they all jumped in as soon as possible. Now falling from an incredible height, there was one unspoken benefit that they all indulged in.

The rushing air was far cooler than at the surface.

When the Phantom Thieves landed, they were met with what seemed to be a completely different world. Unlike the medieval fortress that stood strong above, a collection of vain trophy rooms and the like, the world beneath was far more akin to a current age military base.

They all breathed a sigh of relief when the immense heat of flaming torches was replaced with more modern lighting, the far cooler temperature near magical to their weary bodies. Both a highly useful discovery and more forgiving environments; it was perhaps the most content the Phantom Thieves were since the moment that they stepped into the Palace.

"Could it be that the entire upper half of this Palace is merely a façade?" Butterfly questioned, running a hand along the cool metal that lined the walls with a troubled expression. "No, that is impossible. The Palace is the subconscious bared, a façade cannot be formed… so a dual aspect? After I made such a confident hypothesis, I am near immediately counteracted and left floundering for answers… perhaps I am not suited for this kind of work…"

"Hypothesises and guesses are made to be proven wrong. It just means we shouldn't underestimate our enemies. You might not be entirely wrong; this place is a whole lot smaller than the upper level." Joker absently answered, looking into one of the nearby rooms and wincing slightly as the world itself distorted briefly, reality and Mementos merging for but a moment. "Seems like we've found a safe room with a vent; probably our only way of getting back up. I guess that's what happens when people can casually fly…"

"Over here," Mona called, stepping through another door into a far larger area, decorated with several spotlights shining down. "Statues, of the girls we fought before."

"And they're golden… how tacky." Haru tutted as she stepped in, followed by Joker and Butterfly. "I suppose it makes sense this wouldn't be so different from above though."

Standing several feet taller than the Phantom thieves, the golden statues were practically glowing beneath their spotlights. So perfect were they in their depictions, one could almost make out the smallest wrinkle in their clothes or the slightest dimple in their smiles. Even Madarame's shadow would've been hard-pressed to create such fine art – all except for one.

Standing in the most prominent position within the hall, right beside a recreation of Riser's only figure, was what appeared to be a statue of a young girl. At least, that's what they thought, for it wasn't even close to the same level of craftsmanship shown with the other creations. Rather than gold, it was crooked and crude marble that made up her form, barely even recognisable as a human being if it weren't for the face and hair.

"Is that Rias?" Mona questioned, staring up at the statue with a critical eye and folded arms. "Geez, guess they couldn't stretch the budget far enough, hey Joker?"

"You could almost say she appears… unpolished." The leader of the Phantom Thieves said, but it wasn't the statue itself that he was focused on.

No, it was the gentle distortion that lay within the hands held out subserviently, a distortion that could only mean one very important thing – they had found where the treasure lay, or would lay once they sent the calling card.

"Thank goodness. I wouldn't wish to stay in this place for any longer." Noir sighed, stretching her arms. "I assume that the vent within the safe room is the easiest method of escape?"

"Who knows, but it's our best guess unless we want to delay. I don't want to chance running across the shadows again." Joker replied, giving a small wave as he began to move. "Let's focus on getting out of here and then we can work on part two of the heist. Come on."

The black-haired phantom thief wasn't so blind as to ignore the way that Butterfly hesitated somewhat in following his orders, sending a lingering look to the crude statue of Rias before appearing at his side as they prepared to ascend through the vents. It seemed that perhaps her worries from before were not as abated as Butterfly would've liked.

Still, that was something to worry about _after_ they managed to get out and had a talk with Rias. She may have offered what _she_ believed to be a reasonable reward, but he hadn't properly accepted it. Now, it was time to take advantage of that.

* * *

The sound of endless whispers, gossip and friendly chatter surrounded Ren as he leant back against the tree, just out of sight from most of the populous. Unless anyone was trying to purposely search for him, there was little chance of the students of Kuoh even recognising he had been there at all.

Ren had been fortunate enough to arrive just as soon as Kuoh Academy broke for the day, meaning that the students were already preparing to either leave or attend to their clubs. Tired and desperately wanting to relax, they wouldn't be paying any particular attention to anything save for themselves, making it incredibly simple to avoid detection as he made his way to the Old School Building.

Before he could even knock on the door however, he was met by a cough, immediately turning around to be faced with a stern-faced black haired girl staring at him behind her glasses. How she had even managed to get behind him without triggering any of his instincts, Ren wasn't sure, but he was lucky his surprise only showed momentarily upon her face.

"I assume by the fact you knocked so confidently that you're after Rias Gremory, correct?" the girl spoke succinctly, pushing her glasses back as she did so. "I'm afraid that she currently is unavailable due to family business. Might I ask who wanted to see her?"

"Name's Ren. You could say I'm the one helping her with this 'family business.'" Ren answered, leaning back against the door and folding his arms. While it did little to endear him to the black-haired girl, his words did bring a momentary flicker of surprise to her eyes, a smirk appearing on Ren's lips. "And from that look, it seems like you know something about me. It's nice to be so famous. Care to return the courtesy?"

"…Souna Shitori, the student council president of Kuoh Academy. At least, as long as we are on school grounds." She replied. "I must admit, I pride myself on my knowledge, but I know woefully little about you. Most of my information comes from Rias; incredibly skilled supernatural Phantom Thieves who have the power to completely change the attitudes of people through unknown means. Recently entered Kuoh and taking residence within a café and currently… attempting to 'steal the heart' of Riser Phenex. Please, excuse me if I hold doubts over your abilities."

"If you doubt what we're capable of, then I'm not going to change your mind here, not if we want to avoid something needless and risky to us both," Ren said with a shake of his head. Not unless he wanted to end up battling what was almost definitely another devil on school grounds. "I'm just here to see if she was willing to make her payment a little early."

"Payment, for your services?" Souna parroted, a frown peeking through her stoic visage. "From what she made me aware of, you had already been offered appropriate payment. What made you change your mind?"

"Ah, perhaps there was some confusion," Ren said. "She offered a substantial monetary reward, but I couldn't care less for that. I have little need for excessive amounts of cash. I was hoping to speak to her so we could arrange an alternative. You wouldn't happen to have access to her, would you?"

There was silence for a moment, Ren openly allowing Souna to pass a critical gaze over his body. There was no need for deception; it was clear from the start that Souna was more than a little wary of Ren and the boy had no problems with that. Not to toot his own horn, but he could put on a pretty good offensive if he wanted to hurt anyone; having one person suspicious of him wasn't going to change that.

"…Currently, she is residing in one of her family's vacation homes. If you will follow me, I shall take you to my office. I can speak to her now, but it may take some time to get authorised by the various defences." Souna stated, turning sharply on her foot and looking back. "I expect that you will be able to hold yourself properly. After all, this is still a school environment and though no access to the Student Council Office will be available to the populace, it is still of utmost importance that no reckless behaviour occurs."

"Of course, of course. I'm not too far from education myself, I know to bow down to student councils." Ren joking answered, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Sounds to me like someone's had a fun time handling the school."

"I apologise, but it has been a trying day." Souna sighed, the first open emotion she had shown that wasn't direct distrust. "Phantom Thieves are meant to be mischievous rule-breakers, constantly flaunting their abilities and openly making a mockery of people. I have far too much experience with those who consider themselves above others without reason."

It went unsaid by Ren that there was a fairly good reason for why he could potentially punch above his weight. No need to poke a sleeping dragon after all.

* * *

The gentle ringing of the café's bell caused Haru to turn with a smile, greeted to the sight of a bright-eyed blonde woman looking around the area with open curiosity. Taking a mental note of the paper held in her hand, Haru quickly approached, her business face firmly in place.

"Welcome! May I help you?"

"Ah… Is this the café advertising for recruitment?" the woman asked, holding out the paper for Haru to read.

Ah yes, she almost forgot that she had put the notice out, what with all of the chaos that came with planning a heist. What with business having picked up far faster than they had expected (though fortunately, never reaching the same level that came with Rias' visit), they had decided it would be better if they had some people who would be able to take care of the café while the Phantom Thieves were operating.

"Why yes, it is. I must say, I wasn't expecting anyone to reply so soon." Haru answered, eagerly clutching the paper close to her chest as the woman turned away.

"Well, I'm afraid that I'm not all too familiar with the world, you could say." The woman said with no small blush on her face. "My life has been rather isolated, almost as if I were in a prison. I was so eager to escape the gilded cage that I did little to prepare. Without any money and no higher education, I'm somewhat limited in what I can do. I've made beverages and meals many a time though."

"Well, the other owner is currently away for business, so I'll just have to conduct your interview by myself." Declared Haru, looking to where Morgana in his cat form gave an almost unnoticeable nod. While it was perhaps a little rude, you could never be too cautious. "What's your name then?"

"Well, my name is Mercedes, but my friend has called me Sister Mercy for so long that I've grown much accustomed to the name." the woman replied, taking a seat when it was offered and elegantly placing her hands together. "I am not what you would consider a typical nun, for I do not follow the Christian Lord, but I have devoted myself to many of the disciplines one would expect of a woman of the church. I had always expected that I would remain as such for the rest of my life, but fortune has smiled down on me."

"I see. Do you have a residence here then?" Haru asked. It wouldn't do if a potential employee was homeless while working for them after all. "With a background like that, you must be struggling. The houses around here, while lower than I expected, aren't the cheapest."

"…Unfortunately, I have been forced to squat in the abandoned church upon the edge of town." Mercy admitted with an air of depression. "I understand that stealing the home of another religion's Lord is blasphemous, but there are few alternatives I can find. I was lucky that there seemed to be people who have done so before, for I found living arrangements that no one seemed to come back for."

"Well then, rest assured that even if I do not give you a job, I will certainly help you find a better living place," Haru promised, the fluffy brunette pointedly ignoring the snickers that came from Morgana in the corner.

Yeah right, as if there was anyone someone as soft-hearted as Haru was going to say no to a story like that.

"So you said you can prepare drinks and food? If I let you access our stock, then do you think you could prepare something for me?"

"Of course! I'll try my best to use as little as possible!" Sister Mercy declared brightly with a bow, following dutifully after Haru as she led the blonde woman into the kitchen. "I will admit, this is far more advanced than what I'm used to handling… but I'll try my best!"

Despite her words, Sister Mercy couldn't have looked any more comfortable in the kitchen, gracefully flitting around the room with all of the poise of a trained dancer. A gentle tune could be heard hummed from her lips, yet it did not detract from the frankly quite intriguing speed at which the blonde woman worked. Such speed would be essential should things get busier in the café.

Before any time had passed, a steaming cup of tea was sitting before the brunette, Haru picking up the cup with a curious eye. The colour was such a deep red that one would be forgiven for mistaking it for blood, but Haru could see the dark crimson leaves used to make the brew; leaves that she was certain had not come from their supply.

It didn't stop Haru from taking a deep inhale however, the soothing scent of what appeared to be mixed fruits wafting forth with almost seductive intensity. Even simply being close to the cup had Haru eager to try the taste, a gentle swill before she allowed the boiling liquid into her mouth.

And how right of her to! From the moment that the tea touched her lips, all worries seemed to melt away, replaced with a calm bliss that had Haru releasing a sigh. Oh, she simply had to learn where those tea leaves came from; they would make an excellent addition to their selection and an even better addition to their private stock as well.

"Ah, you have finished. Would you like another?" Sister Mercy's voice broken Haru out of her musings, the girl looking down in amazement to see that barely even a drop remained in her cup. Had she been so enamoured with its flavours that she had drifted away? "My, that look on your face; do not worry, you are not the first to react as such to my tea."

"Sorry, I've just never tasted anything quite so nice." Haru praised, clutching the cup tightly as more tea filled it to the brim. "We owners typically prefer a cup of coffee to tea, but I can see this quickly becoming a favourite among us and our patrons. You must tell me where you got these leaves from."

"These? They are a special leave known as Sect Rouge." Sister Mercy replied from where she was cooking, a reminiscent smile appearing on her face. "As I said, I am not a follower of the Christian Lord. The God I believe in is said to have loved this tea when his avatar walked the earth and blessed it. Those who drink it with pure intentions are said to have their wishes granted – it is a key feature in the religious ceremonies that I learned."

"Oh my, how fascinating. Though perhaps I shouldn't be drinking it so casually then." Haru commented, the smallest amount of conflict entering her face. After all, despite her beliefs, she had already drunk half of her second cup.

"Oh, do not fret. Ever since leaving my prison, there has been only me to drink it. Sect Rouge is a te meant to spread joy and blessings to all, drink to your heart's content." Sister Mercy dismissed, a plate delicately placed before Haru. "I will admit, I'm not too sure how well the tea will go with this meal, but please try it."

Shaking off the small concern that arose with the bitter tone surrounding the word 'prison', Haru took up her knife and fork with all of the careful manners that her parents raised her with and began upon the omelette.

Soft and creamy, the delicate spices offset by the smoothness of goat's cheese. With the eggs just cooked through, a knife glided through it as if it were pure air, yet the texture was complemented by fresh tomatoes and fried peppers that helped add a special crunch. It was almost as if it had been made by a professional chef, Haru taking care to eat with a bit more grace, but still finishing the plate in time at all.

"That was excellent, Sister Mercy. I will have to talk it other with my partner, but I'm sure he will happily accept you too!" Haru said, a serene smile blossoming on the blonde woman's face as she gave a deep bow.

"I hope he does. I shall have to pray in hopes that my meeting with him will go as smoothly." Sister Mercy replied, holding her hands together. "I have had little hope elsewhere, you are the first to truly accept me despite my somewhat suspicious background."

"Goodness, I would be a cruel girl if I rejected you simply because of that." Haru dismissed, brushing herself off as she stood. "It never hurts to see the good in people. Of course, that is unless you're lying to me. Then I'm certain we can have… another talk."

Sister Mercy blinked owlishly. Perhaps it had just been her mind, but she could've sworn that a demon had taken Haru's place for a moment, but a second later had the sweet young brunette back in her place. She simply settled for giving a quick nod and a silent prayer before she realised something.

"Ah… I must return to the abandoned church." Sister Mercy said. "As rude as it is to the Christina Lord, I must conduct my ceremony. I hope you do not mind if I take my leave right now?"

"No, please. If you come back tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be able to meet with my partner Ren. Have a good day!" Haru replied, waving brightly as the woman gave another bow and ducked out of the door, cute energy to her step.

As soon as the blonde couldn't be seen through the door, Haru immediately turned around to see Morgana sitting on the desk, licking what little scraps remained upon her plate.

"So, what did you think of her?"

"Seemed alright to me. I couldn't sense anything about her and she doesn't smell like any of those devils did." Morgana remarked, hopping into Haru's arms. "I mean, I've never heard of a religion like that before, but I haven't heard much about religion apart from what you've told me; who knows?"

"I see. Then hopefully we will not have any trouble hiring her." Haru sighed. "I don't like to be this paranoid. It doesn't feel right to be judging people trying to work at a café as potential deadly assassins or something."

"Better to do it then end up on the end of somebody's knife. We can't always be fighting off people coming after us like those fallen angels." Morgana retorted, licking his paws. "I mean, hiring someone is all well and good, but what are you going to do if someone _does_ target the café? Do you think she could defend herself if we Phantom Thieves aren't here?"

To be honest, Haru hadn't thought about such a thing. She had believed that any potential attacks would be on them alone, that no others would be involved if possible. After all, all of their encounters with the supernatural so far had resulted in them placing special barriers to ensure those of innocent ears would not notice.

But hostages were powerful tools. Should they be unfortunate enough to be taken, then their lives were immediately paramount and that meant foul men could escape without consequence. By hiring someone, they were placing someone in a prime position to be used against them.

Haru sighed. How she wished she could return to when opening a café seemed relatively simple.


	8. The power of preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of Laika and letters.

Ren held back his chuckle as he gazed around the office, Sona giving her farewell to Rias down the phone. Two members of a supernatural race, capable of incredible magics beyond a normal human's imagination… and they were using basic mobile phones. Sometimes, human ingenuity just couldn't be beaten.

"…Of course, Rias. Do you expect me to say no when you're permitting me to utilise your fund?" Sona snarked down the line with the smallest of smiles, Rias' voice muffled but no doubt giving some sort of friendly retort. "Very well, I will proceed with the transaction in your place. Goodbye."

"So then, everything in place?" Ren asked, leaning back in the chair he had been offered.

Though the others in the room were probably unaware, Ren could feel every single glare that was sent in his direction. After all, he didn't seem that much older than them, yet he was treating the student council office no better than his own home. For students who were no doubt told that the student council was one of the most important aspects of school life, it was easy to take Ren's actions as disrespectful.

"Indeed. Though they are not well known, a woman by the name Laika Song should be able to fulfil your requirements." Sona listed, a page pushed in Ren's direction for the black-haired boy to peruse. "I must admit, when you said you would prefer something rather than a monetary reward… I had not been expecting this."

"What can I say? I'm what you'd call a connoisseur." Ren remarked, slipping the paper into his pocket. "Is it so strange a hobby?"

"That would imply that it was a hobby." Sona calmly said as she leant forward upon her desk, the light glinting menacingly off her glasses as she spoke. "But for one with a history such as yourself, I somehow doubt that collecting guns and other weapons is merely a side-interest. The part which truly intrigues me, however, is that you specifically asked for models, rather than the real thing."

"As I said, it's a hobby. Why would I need the real thing?" Ren answered, his smile far too bright on his face.

He wasn't even trying to hide the truth from them and it was irritating every member of the student council immensely. The only one who seemed to be keeping their stern faces was Sona and who could only be the vice president.

It wasn't as if there was anything to lose. If they learned that the Phantom thieves used models as if they were real arms, it wasn't as if it would change the deal. After all, Ren had already received both Rias' statement that they would pay for the models he purchased and there was little reason for them to backtrack.

The issue was that every little detail that he gave away was one step closer to them learning about the power of Persona and it wasn't time to give that up just yet. By acting confident, it clearly showed that there was a reason for his choice, but that he wasn't willing to divulge just yet.

Fortunately, Sona got the message loud and clear, giving a small sigh as she shook her head.

"…Very well. I suppose it is not my place to intrude on your interests." The black-haired girl muttered as she leant back once more. "According to my information, Laika's shop should be open every weekday from ten until five. If you wish to meet with her, you will have to wait for tomorrow."

"No big deal. I think I'll be able to tide myself over until tomorrow. Lots to do you see." Ren answered as he rose from his seat with a theatrical bow. "I suppose if that's dealt with, I have no reason to take advantage of your kindness any longer. I'll be heading home then."

"Very well. If you have any further need to communicate with Rias, we shall be present during after school hours." Sona responded, watching the phantom thief jovially step out of the student council office with a jaunty tune on his lips. She didn't even blink when his form suddenly disappeared as the door closed, the small window far too small to see where he went. "Far too much mystery and bravado for my liking…"

"Would you like me to have my familiar follow him?" the vice president, a long-haired beauty by the name of Tsubaki, asked, to which Sona shook her head.

"You saw how fast he disappeared. There would be no point trying to follow someone who can no doubt easily remain undetected." Sona mused, pushing her hands together with a low hum. "We can only hope that he fulfils his end of the agreement Rias made. It's not as if we can trust them to have gained the necessary strength through their training trip."

That was if they were taking it seriously in the first place. Rias had never been too intense when it came to training her peerage and even with the threat hovering her head, there were the phantom thieves that could potentially solve the whole thing before she needed to fight. For all Sona knew, they were sharing drinks and a feast.

A weary sigh escaped the student council president, one that did not escape her fellow council members. Sona could only hope that the Phantom Thieves succeeded; who knew what would happen if Rias had to fight the Phenex?

* * *

A quiet alleyway. Huh. It wasn't to the extent that one could call it abandoned, there was still one or two people walking up and down, but it wasn't too far off with a couple of boarded-up stores and just a generally less prosperous atmosphere than the rest of the city. Still, compared to some of the places that Ren had seen in his time in Shibuya, it was pretty well off.

The store that Ren was led to seemed, at first, rather out of place. Similarly to the Old School Building in Kuoh Academy, there was a heavy Victorian influence to its build, looking better suited for a London long gone with some of the toys displayed looking like they came from the same period if it weren't for their lack of dust.

How it could deliver what Sona promised it would, Ren had no idea. The likelihood that it carried anything relatively modern, let alone anything close to what Ren needed, was absurdly low. The sign, a giant wooden number with the name 'Radiance of Philosophia' in giant golden letters, looked to be over a hundred years old and the rest of the storefront was no better.

Sighing, the black-haired boy reached for the door handle. After all, he and his friends were perhaps some of the best examples that first appearances can hide more than you expect. Even if she wasn't the one directly dealing with the phantom thieves, Sona wouldn't steer him wrong without reason, surely?

The moment that he stepped in, Ren was met by something magical. That wasn't to say there's anything supernatural about the building; everything was perfectly mundane as one would expect. However, despite the rather small storefront, a veritable mountain of toys of all kinds lined up as far as the eye could see, a warm inviting display of magnificent colour that almost came to life with its imagination. The fact that stairs were leading up to the second floor, no doubt just as filled to the brim made Ren freeze, barely able to believe his eyes.

This couldn't be possible. The stores beside this place, they were too close. This should have been impossible to have a store of this size, not unless the owner had done some sort of magical adjustment. That sort of action would have to leave some sort of residue, however, something that would have been… Off, noticeable to Ren. Yet here he was and here it was: a toy store of unimaginable scale for such an unassuming area and outside appearance without any trace of tampering to be felt at all.

Swallowing his surprise, Ren tore his eyes away from the multitude of stuffed animals and model planes and the like, his ears draw to the gentlest of sounds coming from further within. Though he couldn't make the words out from where he was, there was no denying the beautiful melody that seemed like a siren's call enticing him inward. Perhaps with a stock like this one, the store owner would be more equipped to deal with his request than the black-haired boy he could have ever expected.

_Da-ta la-la-la la-la la-la-la la,_

_Da-ta-la-la la-la du-la lu-la_

_Ha-ah ah-ah ta-la-la-la-la,_

_Du-wa shu-wa chu-wa…_

The angelic tune led Ren towards a woman who could only be described as beatific. Dancing away between the shelves, followed by a wave of cyan hair, the singing shopkeeper practically glowed as she cleaned. Covered in an elegant robe of similar colour to her hair, it was like watching an enchantress weaving her spells as her song continued. Yes, her appearance was certainly foreign to one so used to being surrounded by mostly Japanese, but that only helped enhance her aura of exotic beauty.

Ren quickly shook his head. It would not do to linger on her appearance for too long; first impressions were important and there was no need to give one too inappropriate. Haru would not be too pleased and the brunette had a remarkable ability for learning of such things.

Fortunately, the black-haired boy was able to fix himself before the shopkeeper's eyes fluttered open, the song faded away as she realised that she had company.

"Ah, my apologies. Business has always been quiet during these hours, so I thought it best to put them to good use." The woman said with a deep curtsy, the image of elegance and grace. "My name is Laika, might I help you, good sir? If you are searching for a particular item, need recommendations for a gift or simply desire some company, then I'm certain I can fulfil your wish."

"Well, I've heard that you have a particularly interesting collection within your stock. One that you would not typically find within your average toy store." Ren began, eliciting a giggle from the blue-haired shopkeeper.

"I do believe you will come to learn that this is far from your average toy store." She replied with a titter and a hand to her lips. "Though it was rather expensive to expand to such a size and my customer base has shrunk somewhat, I am proud of the services that I can provide. Please, speak your mind."

"… Apparently, you have quite a collection of model guns. Not only those for use as toys, but quite realistic models."

* * *

There are several grades of model gun which one could acquire in Japan. Those on the lower, safer side tend to only replicate the exterior features of their chosen firearm, lacking the ability to mimic any sort of firing mechanism. Naturally, these are the sorts of guns more easily sourced, Japan's particularly strict gun laws excepting those kinds of models relatively easier.

However, the kind that Ren was looking for were a lot riskier to produce and therefore, far harder to acquire. Not only did they retain maximum detail in their exterior features, but they also replicated many of the internal mechanisms. Not enough to fire a bullet or be jury-rigged into firing a projectile, just enough to be able to produce the sound and spark one would expect of a gun.

Of course, such detail both within and outside as well as the potential to mimic the sound and appearance of a bullet firing meant these danced a lot more with the laws, meaning some companies were hesitant to produce this type for anything other than movie prop purposes. Needless to say, it was strange indeed for a toy store, however big, to supply them as Sona's research claimed this store did.

Those who were able to enter Mementos would find great advantages in purchasing the second rather than first. When the power of one's firearm was dependent on persuading the subconscious to believe it is real and powerful, the more realistic and frightening a weapon it is, the more damage it will do to shadows. Nothing was stopping the phantom thieves from using the more easily obtainable gun models for the heists, but they were simply stronger when utilising the rarer, more realistic versions.

When Ren brought his desires up, he was expecting a reaction that was a little more hesitant, a little shyer. The shopkeeper Laika was not really meant to hold such items after all, not when it could produce an association between realistic guns and toys that could lead to some very dangerous accidents.

What he received though is very much the opposite, a bright beautiful smile appearing on Laika's face as new energy entered her step.

"Yes, indeed! If that is what you're looking for, then you will certainly not find my wares lacking!" Laika answered, the perfect balance between sheer excitement and the grace she had been demonstrating earlier. "Please, follow me. I'm afraid they're a little deeper in the store, perhaps you can keep a poor lonely woman company while we walk? Might I ask why you want to see such things?"

"We are my friends were avid collectors; we amassed a real collection. However, when funds were tight, we had to get rid of some and eventually, there was just no desire to attain anymore." Ren explained. Admittedly, it was mostly he and Ryuji who appreciated the firearms they collected most, the rest only cared for heist purposes. As an explanation, however, it was good enough. "Recent events have kind of brought that desire back. It's a little harder to find models of the same quality as what we managed to get to Shibuya though, I was lucky to get a recommendation."

"My, how fortunate for me! With my customers running so low in recent times, I had fully expected to close the store down. I don't know what I would have done if that were to occur… But, so long as there are people who enjoy my services so much as to recommend it to others, perhaps I may still survive." Laika lamented, the smile on her face shrinking into something more bittersweet. "Humanity seems so obsessed with violence, fear, immersing themselves in a fake utopia and doing little to attain it in real life. The simplicity and purity of innocence that toys represent are less welcome in a world like this. Truly, it's a."

The blue-haired shopkeeper paused, gently stroking the wooden cheek of a nutcracker doll sitting on one of the nearby displays. Ren was almost certain that it was merely his mind playing tricks, but he couldn't help but feel as if it leaned into the touch, like a child basking in the attention of its mother. Not that it could move anyway; it lacked the mechanisms to do so, but the quaint little thought remained firmly the back of his head.

As it was, the leader of the Phantom Thieves decided it would be best to remain silent in response. The fact that he was purchasing her wares to use them in combat meant he would no doubt feel a sense of guilt if he voiced his agreement.

"In all honesty, I was hesitant to stock these. They aren't like the blasters or lasers that you can see more readily, they aren't designed to elicit machination or happiness like the rest of the toys. That is part of the reason why they are hidden away." She continued, turning to face Ren with an apologetic glint to her eyes. "I had always hoped that one day, maybe, I could look at these models and know they aren't just going to someone who only cares for the sense of power they bring. That there would be someone who could somehow take a device formed only for killing and use it to change the world to a better place without hurting a single soul. It is a foolish dream, an impossibility, but I never claimed I wasn't a fool… My apologies, I have been talking your ear off with nonsense."

"Not at all. If such a thing were possible…" Ren paused, unsure of how to phrase his words without giving too much away. "Society has reached the stage where optimism is seen as ignorance and positivity has seen as foolishness. As long as you believe that such a day may come, perhaps it may eventually become true."

Laika's response was a melancholy grin, the shopkeeper pushing open the door and gently throwing her arms wide.

Unlike the near-infinite collection of toys that graced the shop floor, the room they entered was far smaller. While the walls and shelves with the same, the warm inviting nature was dampened by the cold gunmetal plastics and iron that sat within.

As a phantom thief looking for a new weapon, Ren could not be more satisfied with such a sight. As someone who would just listen to Laika's words and experienced the childlike magic of the rest of the toy store, he couldn't help but feel… Off. He could very much understand why such an emotionless, harsh display was hidden so deep away.

Still, he was here for a purpose, Ren slowly wandering through the pistols and shotguns and rifles and whatever else with ease. After spending so much time stop shop under the supervision of an experienced gun handler, the black-haired boy had quickly picked up on what made for a quality creation and what was less realistic. Naturally, even the most realistic of model guns had several concessions for them to be made available to the public, but that didn't mean each manufacturer didn't have their quirks that helped make their creations more or less genuine.

A new pistol and grenade launcher. The slingshot would have to be sourced from a different section from the store and Lavenza had not demonstrated a taste for ranged weaponry. Ren was quite glad about that; it meant he would have to spend less time in such a stifling room and more within the warmth of the rest of the toy store. Perhaps he would take the opportunity to purchase a few gifts on the side. From what he had seen so far, it would please both those back at the Café as well as the shopkeeper.

With a selection made, Ren gave the signal to Laika, the pair exiting together. Then it was merely a case of finding a slingshot and then diving into the multiple possibilities for gifts.

That was where Laika truly shined. The moment Ren mentioned his desire, the blue-haired lady had immediately launched into action, leading him through several portions of the store. With every display that they passed, Laika had some sort of quaint little story to tell: stories of how the toys were made stories of how she came to obtain such toys and stories of those who purchased such toys. He couldn't spend the rest of the day simply listening to a voice and the sheer passion and care she had from what she worked with.

All too soon, however, Ren had to make a decision, Laika leading the way to the register and carefully wrapping everything up and placed it into a bag. If he delayed any longer, there would be no time necessary components for the next stage of the heist.

"There you are, Sir. I'm sure you'll make someone very happy with your choices." Laika said with a cheerful tone. "Please, feel free to return if only to chat; I have had a most wonderful time talking to you. You are unlike any other person I have met."

"Yeah, maybe I'll bring Haru too. I bet she'll absolutely love this place." Ren answered with a smile on his own. The small part of his brain felt a little uncomfortable with the way she phrased that last part, but Ren shoved that aside. She had already proven herself a little eccentric and he was no stranger to such folks at all. "When I come back, I'll tell you how they reacted. Need to go quick; lots to do."

"Of course. I'll be eagerly awaiting your return." Laika answered with a bow, watching as her latest customer left the building. The smile grew, a combination of revived hope and satisfaction. "Oh, why can't they all be like you…?"

* * *

"I'm back."

"Hehe, welcome home Ren. Was your trip successful?"

Ren didn't reply at first, instead choosing to merely place an intricately patterned box on the table for Haru to curiously open. Met by the gleaming silver of a brand-new weapon, she couldn't help but lift it to her eyes so she could better admire its construction. Much the same, Morgana found is similar if smaller box before him as well, though his catlike fall meant that Ren had to open it to reveal the slingshot within.

"Those aren't the only things I managed to get. The models came from a toy store rather than an Airsoft store, so I decided to get a little extra on the side." Ren remarked, this time bringing for a trio of boxes: a box of pure black for Morgana, of rich azure for Lavenza and candy floss pink for Haru.

Naturally, Haru was the first to open her gift, openly squealing with joy as she hugged the delicate cartoon kitten to her bosom. Her amusement only grew when the action brought a cute squeak from the toy, giggling as she repeatedly tightened her grip around it.

"Oh Ren, it's wonderful!" She cried, rushing around the table so she could trap the black-haired boy in a hug just as tight. "Is there a reason? Was there some sort of occasion that I missed? I'd hate it if I forgot a celebration or something."

"Can't I just spoil you whenever I want?" Ren retorted in return, smiling as he was answered by a chaste yet loving kiss on the lips. "Besides, I got something for everyone. Do you think I would be paying attention to anyone else one of our special occasions?"

Ren subtly jerked his head to where Morgana had already managed to force his box open somehow, the kitten happily rolling about upon his new stuffed sushi toy. As soon as he had come across it, Ren had immediately known it was destined for Morgana.

The last box, however, remained unopened, golden eyes staring in equal parts confusion and curiosity at it. Lavenza gave a cute tilt of the head, though the cuteness was ruined by the uncertain expression that graced her visage.

"… I do not understand. Why are you presenting me with this gift as well?" The Velvet Room attendant said slowly, her hands resting upon the box as if it were a bomb. "I have not been of great use during the previous battles. All that I have done is minor, achievable by any other and the deduction I made was near immediately proven false. Such acts are not worthy of a reward."

"… Oh, I see. Do you really think I need a reason to give a gift to you?" Ren retorted, slipping (albeit, somewhat reluctantly) out of Haru's grasp so he could seat himself beside the tiny blonde. "You're my friend, our friend. Friends don't need reasons to give each other gifts. Besides, even if I did, and the payback for everything that Caroline and Justine helped me achieve through my year in Shibuya. If it weren't for you, the world would be nothing more than a plaything for a mad God; that alone deserves a tiny bit more than what I have you in this box."

Gently placing his hands over her own, Ren lifted the lid, Lavenza gazing down at yet another box within, formed from gold and mahogany with a little key upon the side. Once it was clear to him that Lavenza had no idea what to make of it, the black-haired boy began to twist the key, cranking it further and further before revealing the contents within.

"There's one thing I want you to remember." His words were backed by the gentlest of tunes and several butterflies of the colour her master favoured so much dancing in a circle. "Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone thinks they haven't done enough, that everyone else is doing so much better, that we aren't doing the right thing. We are naturally pessimistic people and though you may have been artificially created or whatever by Igor, you are just as human as any other. That's why we can't trust ourselves to determine our worth, we are not the ones who get to decide. That job is for everyone else and I don't speak for Haru or Morgana, but I'm pretty sure you deserve every penny I spent on this. It is up to us to decide what we do; it is up to others to decide whether we made the right choice."

Lavenza was left speechless, staring at the carefully crafted porcelain as it slowly shifted to a stop. When she looked to the left, she found Haru giving a reassuring nod. When she looked to the right, she found Morgana giving the very same.

"… I understand. I accept your gift with gratitude." Lavenza intoned gently, a small courtesy given in thanks. "Allow me to take this to my room. Once I have done so, then I may assist with whatever preparations are necessary."

"She is especially hard on herself. Such a mindset is not healthy." Haru lamented as the girl disappeared towards the bedrooms. "Ren, I… I know she's different. I know that she was made by something we can't even hope to understand, but I look at her and see a younger girl who is being forced into something she's not prepared for. Not regarding intelligence or power, but mentality."

"There's not a lot you too could do. The only reason I'm not the same is that I've spent a little more time in the human world; Caroline and Justine never went further than their doorstep." Morgana interrupted, the closest thing to a sour expression possible upon feline features. "When you get down to basics, she's even worse than a normal kid. At least they've been told from birth that it's up to them to decide what to make of themselves. She spent every moment of her waking life following orders, only to be split apart and forced to obey a false master. Then, after being returned to a normal form, she finds herself being belonging to a foreign world and left to fend for herself by the master she trusted. Is it any wonder she's overwhelmed? The Velvet Room gave her a purpose; she's trying to find one here, but doesn't know what she's looking for."

"It's not a decision we can make for her," Ren stated almost immediately. "I never wanted to return to this phantom thief business, it was and is only ever going to be a temporary thing. So long as we are still thinking in regards to that, the best we can ever give Lavenza is a placeholder."

Even the most skilled psychologists have never been able to answer the question. Humans far more experienced and learned could go their entire lives without finding a purpose; what hope did a woefully lacking young girl who knew only of the prison have? What hope did a sheltered heiress, falsely accused nobody and someone who came from the same situation have for helping her?

"So we help her, as much as we can. If she comes to decision, then so be it, we support her no matter what." Haru summarised, an expression of determination appearing.

The declaration was met by a pair of similar expressions. It wasn't as if Haru even needed to say it, they would have been heartless to not help someone who had given them so much. It was just a shame they had no idea how they were going to help.

"Let's not focus too deeply on it for now. Lavenza should be coming down any second and we need to get these calling cards sorted." Ren declared with a clap of his hands, the group falling into a more casual atmosphere by the time the blonde came back into the café. Fortunately for them, then Lavenza seemed to have returned to her usual elegant state and they dove right into preparations.

* * *

Riser yawned over the sound of endless battle, his peerage's training having been going on for quite a while now.

It wasn't as if it was a necessity. Considering the laughable state of their opponent's peerage, he could leave Yubelluna alone to finish them off; with the entirety of his peerage complete, there was no way Rias stood a chance. From what Riser had learned from his research, it wasn't even as if they lacked potential, Rias had certainly collected some interesting pieces. They merely lacked the training and experience necessary to stand up to a group of his power and ability.

Riser was broken out of his musings by the sound of a chainsaw rapidly approaching, no doubt thrown by one of those battling. The blond devil watched apathetically as the weapon dug through his leg, tearing through flesh and bone, one of the green-haired twins rushing over with a panicked cry.

They needn't have worried. They never did have to worry, it was the reason why Riser could sit so close to the battle without fear.

The moment that Ile removed the chainsaw from King's body, flames began to lap at the wound, evaporating away the blood and knitting flesh together until nary a scratch remained. The trousers would have to be repaired of course, but it was of little issue – the finances raised selling that tears would be more than enough to fund the greatest tailors several times over.

"Hmm… I expected that to hurt a little bit more than it did. I guess it's time for us to stop." Riser declared aloud, magical spells dissipating and combat stances softened. "Yubelluna, to me. The rest of you, rest up and grab some water, I'll be speaking to you all in a moment."

They followed his words without question, the noise of combat replaced with girlish chatter and tired complaints. Riser could expect no less; they already had much experience with what would happen if they didn't listen: more bruises and wounds than were necessary.

"Yubelluna, have you received any words on what my dear Rias is doing?" Riser asked, his eyes gleamed to the window that showed the artificial moon shining above. He need not turn; even if she had been silent, he would always know where his Queen or any of his peerage was. Such was the right given to him as a king.

"Unfortunately, my familiars have come up empty. She has no doubt chosen to reside within the human world for her training." The purple-haired Queen answered dutifully, trying to bite back her bitterness and not entirely failing. "From the state of her peerage when we last approached her and how little time has passed, I doubt there's been much change. Your victory is still assured."

"I suppose it was to be expected of her. Why she loves that place, I will never understand." Riser retorted, holding himself back from spitting in disgust. "A lovely child-like herself should never have to grace such a foul land with her presence."

Not only was it a place for Rias to isolate herself from having to face her familial duties, but the girl was also revoltingly in love with the culture that humans held. The sheer amount of dirt and pollution the place had meant Riser could barely stand in the human world, let alone live among them and lower himself to share their culture.

"Still, it would be remiss of me if I couldn't allow her some element of freedom. She is a ferociously independent young girl after all." The man continued with a low chuckle. "Once she's rightfully mine, she will be spending far less time in the human world; let us hope the last memories she makes in it are good ones."

"Brother! There's a message for you!"

The voice of young Ravel cut short any retort Yubelluna would have had, the youngest of the Phenex family dashing overbearing an envelope. It wasn't an unusual occurrence, not with how easy it was for Riser to lose track of time training his peerage, so the man didn't think much of it as he accepted the message.

"I was not expecting a message from anyone at this time. Perhaps a Rating Game challenge…" Riser mused, letting the smallest amount of flame possible burn away the envelope. It bore no particular emblem upon its front, nor did it state that it was intended to be returned; there was no reason to preserve it, meaning Riser could go with the easiest possible method. "A… Card?"

It wasn't a card worthy of any devil, let alone anyone who would be doing business with him. Not only did it lack delicacy in its creation and elegance in its appearance, but the tiny business card also looked to have been forged out of scraps hastily pasted together into a coherent message. Most would be embarrassed to even have thought of making such a thing; they would be committing reputational suicide by sending one out.

The scraps that made up the card were in Japanese – considering the Devils had their own language, there was no doubt that it was the work of the human. Even Rias, as obsessed with human culture as she was, would use her native script when communicating with her fellow Devils. The question then was, what human would be able to send a missive so poorly made to someone like Riser?

"Riser Phenex: one whose vanity is born of exaggerated achievement and arrogance. You see yourself as an immortal God who can lord their might over any weaker. You do not care for her, you care only for her blood and the reputation it brings you. Such a crime will be admitted by your mouth – we will be taking your distorted desires without fail. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts… Is this a joke!?"

"N-no, brother. According to the messenger, he had received multiple copies to be sent to many of the families. I assumed it was to do with the wedding preparations." Ravel admitted, nervously shuffling in place. If what that messenger had said was true, then the rumour would be spread near instantly. If anyone believed it was another thing, but the fact that it existed at all was a threat to their reputation. "Riser, what are you going to do? Do you know who it could be?"

"Of course I don't! It's a message in a human tongue, no human would dare to…"

But perhaps one human _would_ dare to. One human who seemed to care not about the Devils' superiority over humanity. One human who had been there when he discussed the intended marriage with Rias. One human who had talked back to him and even survived a strike from one of his peerage members.

The calling card was immediately crushed within his fist, and excessive inferno burning it to cinders that were thrown on the ground and crushed underfoot. So, a human thought he had a chance of fighting against someone of his power? Of challenging someone who could recover from any injury?

So be it. Riser Phenex was not one to back down from a challenge, and he was certainly not one to lose to a human.

Unbeknownst to him, in the deepest recesses of his subconscious known as a Palace, security hardened and a treasure was born.


	9. Why do firebirds die so soon?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On breakthroughs and beatdowns.

Rating Games: a simulation intended to give a peerage's servants real-life battle experience while allowing the King to flaunt their abilities before their peers. After the horrible losses brought about by the Great War between devils, angels and fallen angels, the Rating Game was adopted and soon grew to be the dominant form of competition. One's performance within a Rating Game could have a widespread effect on one's rank and position within society.

With how prominent Rating Games had become in recent times, it would only be natural that many would flock to a Rating Game between the children from two of the Seventy-Two Pillars. Riser Phenex had already managed to build up a reasonable reputation as an upcoming champion and the Gremory family were renowned for the ferocity of their magic. A battle between the two very quickly became a highly anticipated event, many vying for invites from the Phenex and Gremory families.

Imagine their surprise then when, rather than their coveted invitations, the people began to receive the most strangely composed letter they had ever seen? A letter that boasted of Riser's weaknesses, that decried his coming marriage and declared that some unknown group would 'steal his heart'. it sounded like absolute nonsense, and absolute nonsense composed by a human hand at that! That alone was enough to make people dismiss it the moment it fell in their hands.

But some weren't so hasty in their decision. For a human letter to have made it into the underworld meant that they had the support of a devil willing to send it and one who was not afraid of earning the ire of the Phenex family. Besides, Sacred Gears could have a wide variety of effects; it wasn't entirely impossible for a human to 'steal his heart', whatever that entailed. Plus, even if the rest of the message was improbable, those who had done deals with Riser could attest to the veracity of the claims about him. Thus, despite the dismissiveness of some, rumours began to circulate.

That alone was enough to aggravate Riser, every moment he spent in the public presence surrounded by whispers and strange looks. it was enough to make him tear out his hair in frustration, Yubelluna backing away slightly at the bestial growl that escaped her King's throat.

"The moment I get my hands on that idiotic human, I'll have his throat! How can those imbeciles believe any of the drivel written on those disgusting cards!?" Riser yelled, the desk now scorched from where he had slammed down his fists. "I'll show him just why the Phenexes are one of the most feared Pillars! The moment any news of him arrives, I must hear it immediately!"

"Understood, but… Riser, are you certain that this human is without power? It would not do you good to walk into a trap of your own making." Yubelluna questioned, only to flinch when burning eyes turned upon her form. That alone was enough to nearly bring her to her knees, the combination of heat and demonic energy manifesting into a choking sensation.

"Yubelluna, my Queen. You believe that I could be bested by a human?" the question was asked casually, yet it still managed to strike fear into Yubelluna's hear nonetheless. At that moment, it would've been no different if the original Lucifer stood in Riser's place. "I would've expected you of all people to know how false those claims are. An immortal will not fall to a mere insect."

"Of course, I would never doubt your strength! I just wonder what would drive a human to feel so confident against you." The purple-haired devil quickly answered, letting out a silent sigh of relief as the deathly aura faded momentarily.

"Hmm… I suppose you're correct. They would not be confident without reason." The blonde man muttered, closing his eyes with a derisive snort. "Then again, they become cocky with awfully little prompting. He probably has a weak Sacred Gear and now believes he can challenge the gods. We shall simply have to show him his place, and then I can prepare for my Rating Game against Rias. That reminds me, it is time for us to train Yubelluna. Come."

"Yes, Riser," Yubelluna muttered in return, opening the door for her King and following after dutifully.

Despite his words, she couldn't muster any more confidence.

* * *

"Our biggest issue is how we're going to get the treasure out of here if it's larger," Joker muttered as the world warped around him, the land growing bleak and barren while a mighty fortress fazed into reality. "We ended up finding it underground beneath a trapped door. Getting to it will be easy, getting it out will be awkward."

"Guess there are some problems when treasures end up being larger than expected," Mona remarked with a smirk on his face, bouncing from foot to foot in anticipation. "Still, we'll figure a way out. That trap door can't be the only way out, after all, what with the whole massive drop problem."

"I suppose it's different for those who can fly at will." Noir pointed out.

It wasn't as if it was impossible though. They had done it before with liberal use of their grappling hooks and there was no reason why they couldn't do the same again. So long as they avoided the massive amount of guards that were bound to turn up at the exterior of the Palace, they would be home scotch free.

Not that such a thing would be easy. With the provocation of the calling card, security was always ramped up to maximum; being summoned in a place with few hiding spots in such a situation wasn't exactly the easiest to traverse. Had it not been for the shattered boulders just barely large enough to hide their forms, the Phantom Thieves would've been immediately found. As it was, they just barely managed to avoid detection from the oncoming patrols.

"Soldiers with strong formations, huh? Nice to know things are going to be as simple as always." Mona's sarcastic remark could be heard, but Joker gave it no second thought.

Too much attention was paid to analysing every movement of every single shadow, their forms sharp as they marched from position to position. The moment that they stepped out into the open was the moment hundreds of men became focused on them, so a frontal assault was no good. Then again, there weren't enough boulders to properly try and hide their approach.

"We could use the same tactics as last time…" the leader muttered as his eyes glanced back and forth. "…but with such a large amount of soldiers present, then we can't keep track of them all. For all we know, we could cause an explosion in one direction and the soldiers running from the other direction will intercept us by accident. Any soldiers behind?"

"None that we can view. It is safe to say that there are few, if not none, behind us." Butterfly's voice helpfully piped up, Joker giving a small nod as his eyes closed. Almost immediately, however, they burst back open, new confidence filling Joker's body as his pistol slipped into his hands. "I assume you have a plan then?"

"Something like that. We're gonna have to split up for it though. Noir, you're with me; Mona, Butterfly, you'll be acting as the main distraction." The black-haired thief explained. "As you two are the smallest and the most agile, you'll take on the brunt of the heat. Do what you did last time – make some noise and get all the attention on you. We'll be doing the same on the other side."

"So by attracting the soldiers to both sides, we should be able to remain fairly untouched in the centre while they start searching." Noir continued, a small smile of intrigue appearing on her lips. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to try. If I angle my grenade launcher properly, I should be able to get some good distance on it. We should be able to pull them far away."

"Through a combination of elemental techniques, it is theoretically possible to replicate such a thing. Mona, we shall have to work together." Butterfly commented, holding up her hand and receiving a greatly enthused high-five in response. "Then, shall we move?"

"Ten seconds. A guy passing by…" Joker quickly answered, throwing his hand out as a shadow began to march by. Carefully brandishing their weapons, every second seemed to pass by like an eternity.

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…!

"Now!"

The sweet sound of an explosion ringing out was heard all over, nothing to stand in the way of the soundwaves resounding over the barren fields. You would have to be deaf to not notice such a thing and with security as high as it was, there wasn't a single soul who failed to respond. Their mad dash towards the explosion meant when an equally powerful blast rocked the earth elsewhere, they were forced to scramble backwards, once orderly patrols now left messy and confused.

Had they remained calm and structured, there would've been no way the plan could've succeeded. As shocked and confused as they were though, the soldiers proved little trouble for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Too busy searching for a distant enemy that didn't exist, the group waltzed by huge numbers and those who looked back soon found themselves with a pistol bullet through their skulls.

"To the side!" Noir called out, barely a trace of the phantom thieves left behind as shadow after shadow poured out of the fortress. The army's commander wanted their heads after all; it was only natural that they would flood towards any trace of an intruder. "Is that all of them?"

"It appears so. Perhaps we should provide one last distraction, to ensure none come this way. Noir, please aim."

Butterfly and Noir's abilities combined made for an utterly beautiful sight. The projectile born of their power was like a shooting star flying across the sky, though such a sight managed to go ignored by the shadows gathered before. If they knew the power held behind such an attack, perhaps they wouldn't have been so ignorant or dismissive.

Needless to say, they soon learned the truth when a massive explosion blossomed into existence right in the centre of their gathered crowds. The noise of wind provoking flame almost drowned out the sound of soldiers burning alive, chaos reigning supreme as they tried to fruitlessly determine where the strike had come from. with the absolute mess that they were all in, waltzing into the fortress was child's play.

"Thank goodness we don't have to deal with the heat. I don't think I would've survived had we been forced to work in that again." Noir sighed as they landed. Even the briefest flash of the fortress' insane temperatures had been enough to bring a light blush to the brunette's features, an idle hand swiping at the small drops of sweat. "And we're close to the treasure as well. Perhaps fortune is finally looking down on us once more."

"I'd hold off on that. We still actually need to get the treasure and move it out of here." Joker warned, a stern expression on his face as he reached for the door. While they may have been safe for the moment, there was nothing to protect them once they stepped out of the safe room. It was do or die. "Stick behind the statues and we can probably figure something out."

* * *

Treasures could take multiple forms depending on the desires that formed it. A gaudy crown filled with jewels, a precious portrait that had earned huge amounts through its copies, even things as seemingly mundane as a golden steering wheel. Anything was possible so long as the person who generated the treasure considered it of great value and something to be desired. What Riser's distorted mind had created, however, was not something the phantom thieves had expected. While they had seen many a strange treasure in their heists, there had only ever been one other time where they saw something as weird as Riser's treasure and the entire Palace had been formed under entirely different circumstances to the norm.

Slowly making their way through the room once it was clear nobody was present, the phantom thieves gazed upon the golden statues that towered above them, just as pristine and flawless as before. Beautiful as they were though, they were not the treasure the phantom thieves desired; that was in the hands of the crude Rias statue, marble fingers curled around what could only be a female form.

"A shadow copy of Rias is the treasure…" Joker muttered as he climbed the statue, met with an unmistakable face. Though she lacked clothes, the shadow didn't seem bothered by it at all, her face apathetic as the black-haired leader reached out a hand to help her. "Well now, this will be interesting."

That thought was quickly halted by the explosion that rocked Joker's world, both shadow and human tossed aside as the statue they were standing on shattered beneath them. Fortunately, the phantom thief had been able to shield shadow Rias from any harm, his coat torn slightly but with little damage of real concern. More important was the man who strolled through the resulting flames as if they were nothing more than a pleasant breeze.

 **"A shame, but I suppose it's to be expected. Insects always are so annoying to swat."** Riser muttered as he dusted off his shirt, flanked by his peerage as Noir and Butterfly moved to defend shadow Rias. **"What? Did you think I would leave this place unguarded? Just as foolish as every other member of your pitiful species."**

"Sorry, was expecting you to be a little more careful considering you could've blown up your treasure. Don't you know how precious these kinds of things are?" Joker retorted, hand gradually moving towards his pistol. There was no reason to be subtle anymore; once they were face to face like this, a battle was only inevitable. "Not exactly as if they can be easily replaced and that goes double for actual people. No regrets over potentially blowing up your up-and-coming fiancé?"

 **"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. You could put an end to plans years in the making and if putting a couple of bruises on Rias is what it takes to stop that, it's a risk I'm willing to take."** The shadow answered without remorse, nothing more than a smile and shrug of his shoulders. **"So long as she does not lose her life, then everything is going according to plan. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for you. Knowing Rias, she has placed all of her faith in you; imagine the despair she'll feel when her one trump card fails? Beating her and that pitiful peerage of hers will be child's play and then my future is secured! The reputation of one who defeated a Gremory, a full peerage of the most beautiful and strongest, the influence of the Phenex family and Gremory family combined; all will be mine!"**

"So, she's just a stepping stone for you? A key to your bright future and nothing else? Someone you're to marry simply for ownership over everything they hold!?" Noir questioned, more than a little sarcasm entering her voice as her grip around the axe's handle grew disturbingly tight. "True scum, that is what you are! Taking such an intimate promise and perverting it for your profit!"

"Ain't you Phenexes meant to be loaded anyway? And don't you already have a good reputation due to your regeneration?" Mona pointed out, all facts that Rias had been happy to point out in her bitterness. "What's even the point? It's not exactly as if you're lacking anything as you are now. It's kind of pointless."

 **"Fool! Those who do not seek success will crumble! This world is a constant battle, survival of the fittest – and I will reign victorious!"** Riser cried, the once cool room suddenly reaching temperatures comparable to the fortress above. That would prove to be a crippling problem if it didn't stop soon. **"A Gremory succeed through their strengths and a Phenex, through their wits. Imagine what levels I could ascend to with both at my disposal! There won't be a single person who could stand in my way, I'll ascend immortality to become even greater than the Satans! And I will not allow you to stop me!"**

With that declaration, the flames only grew, flesh exploding outward and morphing until nought but a monster remained stood in Riser's place. What had once looked human now bore the hideous visage of a demonic bird, amber eyes glowing with literal flame. Talons that could pierce steel twitched in anticipation as six wings lifted the creature into the air. Though the body was vaguely humanoid in shape, there was no denying with the vermillion feathers and giant size thatRiser had thrown away whatever mortality could be found in the shadow of a devil.

"…Designation: Haborym. There is little chance of escape while Haborym is still present. Combat is the only viable option." Butterfly stated, holding her grimoire forth with a bold resolution. "Restraint from flame and wind-based techniques directed at Haborym is advised. Mona, your entire strategy must be reassessed."

"Well, that's nice to know. Not as if it's my thing or anything." The feline phantom thief jokingly snarked in response, his sabre held in a loose grip as he stared up towards the monster. "Guess I'll be depending on you Joker. I'll try and keep the heat of you lot, so you focus on dishing out the damage!"

"Naturally. Let's show them what we're made of!" Joker cried, the black-haired phantom thief refusing to wait before letting loose a trio of bullets that dug deep into the flesh of Haborym. A typical man would flinch receiving such an attack; instead, they were treated to the sight of the wound almost immediately sealing up, the shadow barely blinking before all was back to normal. "Still has the regeneration, huh? Was worth a try at least."

 **"GET THEM!"** And with that monstrous roar, the humanoid forms of shadow Riser's peerage melted away, revealing the true horrors that lay hidden underneath.

A familiar sight met by Haru as she was met by a Girl of the Hanging Tree, Beguiling Girl and Battle Fiend; it seemed that Riser had gotten around to reviving the shadows they had previously taken down and they were more than happy to take their revenge. With a weapon as unwieldy as an axe, Noir struggled to properly defend herself from the Battle Fiend's strikes and the way that its two tinier companions fluttered about only made the experience all the more annoying. Under the assault, she was slowly being forced into a corner, each of the shadows letting out their own disgusting little snickers as they realised just how helpless the girl was.

At the tap on the shoulder, the Battle Fiend immediately whirled around, only to realise they were striking at nothing but air. At the tap on the ankle, it looked down to find Mona grinning far too happily before its life was quickly snuffed out by a raging cyclone. With a weakness to wind-based techniques and a Garudyne directly to the face, there was little chance of the Battle Fiend's survival. Its death came as a shock to both the Girl of the Hanging Tree and the Beguiling Girl, both freezing for a second in surprise. That was all the time Noir needed.

"Um, excuse me?" Noir sweetly asked, both shadows turning back to their original target only to receive a harsh strike to the tops of their heads.

With her grip tightening around the metal of her grenade launcher, a disturbingly sweet smile made its way onto Noir's face as she looked down upon the two tiny shadows. Their diminutive size meant they fit just perfectly beneath the phantom thief's heels as she stomped down, their screeches of pain muffled by Noir's heels as she stomped once more and twisted. It was a shame that they weren't weak to physical damage; the brunette could've carried on for ages. Unfortunately, there were bigger fish to fry, meaning that Noir was forced to end it quickly with a grenade that left nothing behind after its explosion.

"Some people really can be quite forgetful, can't they? Maybe this time the lesson will stick." The girl mused before rushing off to help the others, Mona standing terrified for a moment before shaking his head rapidly and running after. Putting an end to their opponents was one thing, especially considering that they were only conceptual recreations, but what Noir was capable of… that was something truly to be feared.

Nearby, a Nekomata tried to rip Joker's head off with its terror claws, only for a shield wielded by a Naga to stand in the way. There couldn't have been any worse opponent for the shadow, for the moment that it reeled back after striking the shield, a huge flash of light burst into its eyes. Reeling and dizzy, there was no way for the Nekomata to defend itself as the Naga struck true with its spear, Zionga sending immeasurable numbers of amps coursing through its body. Butterfly watched with a small content smile as her summoned persona faded away – one more opponent down.

The assistance meant that Joker was free to leap over the synchronised attacks of a pair of Human-Eating Ladies, his landing so smooth that he completely rolled under the follow up from the two Slithering Snakewomen stood behind them. He didn't even need to turn around to shoot at them, not with their numbers; Joker could've been waving his hands about like a mad man and still probably hit them with how clumsy their movements were. Still, he was kind enough to allow one to remain untargeted and once the Slithering Snakewoman realised, she took the bait hook line and sinker. the moment that she dashed forward, a dagger found itself firmly planted in its forehead; perfect leverage for Joker to lift himself over and kick its counterpart.

Unlike the others, Joker cared little for acting upon their weaknesses; there weren't many ways for him to take advantage of them anyway, not as he was now. It was of little consequence regardless; one didn't need a weakness to daggers, after all, to die once one's throat was slit. The two Slithering Snakewomen would come to learn that truth the hard way as Joker cleaved right through their flesh. The black-haired phantom thief made sure to step away, lest he get the remains stuck on some part of his costume.

Witnessing their deaths, the two Human-Eating Ladies tried to act, only to trip over each other in a messy heap. Well, more like they tripped over the grappling wire wrapped around their legs, Butterfly tugging the end to drag the two helpless shadows before her. A small wry smile made its way onto the tiny attendant's face, a stark contrast to the expressions on the Human-Eating Ladies. Perhaps that was due to the chainsaw Butterfly wielded so carelessly in the other hand, the sound of a revving engine matched by the screams of those who faced the chainsaw's wrath.

 **"Should we not assist them, brother?"** One shadow asked, watching as a Funerary Warrior fell victim to the combined attacks of Noir and Joker. The strange fusion of cursed and psychic power was too much for the Funerary Warrior to bear, their steed collapsing so the rider had no means of escaping. **"It appears that they are unsuitable for the job. We could have them crushed in a heartbeat."**

 **"Do not fear, my dear little sister. They're but pawns in a game they don't know they're playing. There's a reason why I stay my hand."** Hagorym muttered in response, bulbous eyes flicking from one direction to another as a warped cackle filled the air. **"With every passing moment, their foolishness drives them closer to death. Let them have their moments of entertainment."**

**"At the cost of your peerage?"**

**"It is as I have said before. Some sacrifices must be made for a greater purpose."**

* * *

"We're not doing this quick enough!" Mona warned as he jumped up on the back of a Troublesome Maid, his movements somewhat sluggish as he took his sabre to the shadow's neck. It did little to reduce how horrific the assault was, a swift kick to the back of the head helping the Troublesome Maid fall to the ground dead, but Mona was forced to pause and try to regain his breath. "We need to start dealing with the big guy soon or we're toast!"

"And we're not going to be able to get through to him unless we deal with all of his cannon fodder!" Joker called back as a bullet went through the kneecaps of a Waterside Nymph, her dance cut short as she collapsed to the ground in agony. Fortunately for them all, her screams were quickly cut short by Noir passing by, Milady more than capable of silencing the shadow with a multitude of gunshots. "We've already gotten eleven of them and the others don't look that much better, just keep up the pressure!"

Such provocative claims were naturally going to draw the ire of the other shadows, a Jealous Lover and a Woman Who Brings Ruin rushing forward to defend their King. A series of explosions and bullets would quickly put an end to that, however; grenades and pistol-fire tore through the flesh of the Woman Who Brings Ruin while the Jealous Lover was terrified by the wind-infused shots from Mona that pierced through bone. By the time the barrage had ended, only two more stood in the phantom thieves' way; the shadows of Yubelluna and Ravel.

 **"You're fools for thinking you can withstand the might of Riser."** The shadow of Yubelluna, having taken the form of a Mountain Girl, growled. **"You are mere humans daring to kill an immortal! Your idiocy knows no bounds!"**

 **"Do you think they're smart enough to stop now? I'd rather just see them get obliterated. At least then, they might be able to provide some form of entertainment."** The other shadow commented with a haughty laugh, the Shadowed One bringing a hand to her lips in mirth. **"The Phenex family has reigned supreme in battles since before your entire family lines were conceived! My brother isn't exactly looking to ruin such a reputation. If you know what's good for you, you will lay your weapons down and submit."**

"…See, we have a better deal and I believe we could negotiate here." Noir politely remarked in response, earning sounds of confusion from the shadows as she stepped forward. "You all seem to believe that your supposed leader is immortal and invincible. We'd like to believe otherwise."

 **"Of course you would."** Was the scathing retort of Haborym from behind his remaining guards, though Noir didn't deem his words with a response. Instead, she allowed an obviously fake smile to remain plastered across her face, the only sound other than flames scorching the air being her heels as the brunette moved. **"You pitiful humans have an incredible ability for denying your shortcomings."**

"Well regardless, allow me to suggest a compromise. We prove your claims false and then when it's shown you truly aren't immortal, you die for us!"

For such a morbid declaration, the ungodly sweet tone the brunette used was almost sickening. How could the shadows react in any other manner than to laugh? It was like watching babies scream about how they were going to become kings; somewhat amusing, yet ultimately impossible. Just like parents listening to their children make outlandish claims however, the towering humanoid avian that was Haborym decided to make a somewhat risky decision.

 **"Very well then! If you want to throw away your lives like that, be my guest!"** the giant shadow bellowed between his laughter, throwing his arms and wings wide as the flames surrounding only grew more intense. Though the phantom thieves threw their hands before their faces, it did nothing to block the heat that wafted in their direction, the closest approximation to a smirk appearing on Haborym's beak. **"If you're not incinerated in the next few moments, feel free to try and prove me wrong! You cannot stand against my might!"**

And that was true. Already, Joker was beginning to feel his skin blister under the punishment; trying to approach callously would only lead to their remains being piles of ash on the ground. Turning his gaze to the side, the leader met the eyes of his team, no need for words – it was now or never to put their opponents in their place.

A swirl of pure fire launched itself towards Noir and Joker, grappling hooks drawing them away as the only thing preventing the pair from being incinerated. With the number of statues stood around and the torches set into the walls, the proper positioning meant that the two Phantom thieves could practically fly wherever they wanted. No matter how many blasts of flame and whatever other attacks the shadows sent their way, neither were hit once, much to Haborym's anger.

That wasn't to say that Mona and Butterfly were sitting idle. Their smaller sizes meant it was certainly irritating for the Mountain Girl and Shadowed one to hit them, regardless of how dizzy the heat made them. Mona, with all of the feline flexibility one would expect, was practically running circles around a particularly irritated Shadowed one, who had more often than not actually nearly injured herself trying to take down Mona. Meanwhile, the Mountain Girl not only had to deal with Butterfly dancing around her attacks with a grace befitting of her title but also matching those she couldn't dodge with equal power of her own. So much energy, wasted and those hits that might connect, cancelled out; it was enough to make the Shadowed One scream out in fury.

 **"Dodge all you like, it makes no difference! You will tire out long before I do!"** Haborym jokingly warned, a huge swing of his arms shattering the statue Joker had temporarily perched himself on. Left with only dust beneath his feet, it was only the leader's quick reactions that had him swinging underneath Haborym's massive body, inches away from the random flares of fire that shot from his wings. **"Your 'strategy' is no strategy at all! Do you think I will simply give up?"**

"I think you'll find… it's a little more than that!" the black-haired phantom thief called back from his new perch, clinging as best as possible onto the ceiling with a growing grin. Wiping the sweat gathered upon his brow, Joker looked down upon his work with a satisfied nod. "Noir, how are things on your end?"

"Perfectly fine! I believe this will work perfectly!" she called back, giving an experimental tug on her grappling hook just to be sure. With her heels planted as firmly as possible in the ground, nobody would be budging Noir any time soon. Considering just how often she had been zipping around, it was enough to bring the smallest sense of confusion to Haborym's face. "Shall we make good on the deal?"

"Understood. Moving into position." Butterfly stated in response, her dance against the Mountain Girl suddenly abandoned as Butterfly dashed towards Haborym. The increase in heat meant nothing to her, not when a simple wave of her hand brought an aura of ice around her body. "Beginning the termination of Riser Phenex, designation: Haborym."

**"Hm-!?"**

It should've been simple for the massive avian to simply crush Butterfly underfoot, but Haborym found his body refusing to do so. Not of its own volition, as Haborym would soon learn as he tried desperately to tug and tear the wire that had wrapped around his foot. Whatever the wire was made of, however, would not be so easily defeated, Joker and Noir pulling their ends even tighter as Haborym was forced to fall forward. With no time at all to flee before they realised their incoming doom, both the Shadowed One and the Mountain girl could only cry in alarm before they were crushed beneath their leader's weight.

It was only then that Haborym realised that not only had his legs been compromised, but his entire body had been captured in the twisted and crossing wires, every dodge or swing the two Phantom thieves made wrapping more and more of their hooks' wire around Haborym's body. How thin the wire was in addition to Haborym's size meant that the shadow didn't realise his fate until the very last moment and with the distraction provided by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, the tiny pinching sensation was easily ignored.

 **"This will not hold me forever!"** Haborym vowed, his form writhing upon the ground as he tried to free himself. All he succeeded in doing was knocking over yet more statues, their sizeable weight landing directly upon Haborym for a painful impact. **"Do you believe these strings can withstand hellfire!?"**

"They don't have to. All they have to do is keep you still enough for this!" Joker remarked, catching Butterfly's eyes for the briefest of seconds before his hand rose. By the time the sound of his fingers clicking could be heard, the velvet attendant was already activating her spells.

"Dominion, Daisoujou, Anubis, Horus, allow me to temporarily combine your strengths." Butterfly muttered a quartet of cards floating around her body before they summarily shattered in perfect sync.

Surrounded by an azure aura of power, Butterfly threw her hands skyward, the resulting pillar of pure energy shattering the ceiling above and anything that dared try to get in its path. The shadows patrolling outside were left in shocked horror as they saw the pillar rise further and further into the heavens, watching dumbly as azure changed slowly in golden light. The sight made Joker's grin grow, Rias' words echoing in his mind.

* * *

_"Devils have one weakness beyond Sacred Gears that humans can take advantage of. If you can source something like it, then you should have an easier time dealing with Riser, however, you choose to." Rias remarked with folded arms, a small grimace upon her face. So, what could be so bad that even the thought of it caused the redhead pain? "As one would expect, items that utilise holy energy are incredibly toxic to devils. This counts for anything imbued with religious intent; items utilised by the church such as crosses and the bible can cause incredible pain. Even churches themselves are dangerous for devils to enter. If you can get yourself some holy implements, then you should be able to… appear more persuasive."_

* * *

Well, they hadn't gotten any of those; they hadn't needed to. After all, when Butterfly still had access to the plethora of Personae contained within her grimoire, why outsource? The blessed energy she had been able to call upon was immense, frightening to even the other members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. To the shadows based upon devils? It might as well have been god's wrath brought down directly upon them. Considering some of the Personae used to call upon the attacks, it wasn't that far off.

Faced with the combined strength of Makougaon, Makouga, Makouha and Kougaon cast in quick succession even a monster of Hagorym's size wasn't able to last any longer than a minute. The Mountain Lady was eviscerated barely a second into the assault and it was only the natural regenerative abilities the shadows had thanks to being Phenexes that prevented them from perishing just as quickly. After the minute was up, nothing remained of the giant monster except a defeated Riser Phenex, stuck on his knees and one step away from unconsciousness. He could do nothing as Joker slowly approached, a pistol jammed into the shadow's forehead.

"Your treasure is ours. Awaken, and confess your crimes to the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of this chapter, this story has reached the same stage it is in on Fanfiction.net. From now on, new chapters will be uploaded at the same time on both sites.


	10. Icarus incarnate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On contingencies and consequences.

As the demon of flame faded, all that remained was a pitiful man flailing for his life. Gone were the delusions of grandeur, replaced by a desperate desire to survive. Ren barely took a step forward and the Shadow was already scrambling backwards. Without strength or fire, however, the phoenix was but a chick. In the state he was in, the Shadow of Riser couldn’t hope to fight back a child.

Joker almost felt bad. With every taunting step, what little pride the shadow had fled even more. Even the simplest of twitches made the spluttering mess upon the ground worse. Had there been anyone around, Riser’s reputation would be left in shreds. Perhaps it was a mercy that a Palace was not so easily intruded upon. His sympathy could only be drawn so far, however. For a man so grotesquely self-indulgent, there could no regrets. Such a fate was one Riser called upon himself the moment those horrific thoughts entered his mind.

**“C-come now, I’m beaten! I c-can not fight, there’s no need to draw it out!”** the statement brought silence to the chamber. Though Joker tried his best to school his features, such a ridiculous remark was truly a test of his patience. The Shadow must have taken it for consideration, however, as it quickly scurried forth with a simpering expression. **“Y-you’re after the treasure, right? Killing me won’t solve anything! My worth is incredible, I have h-hundreds of people who owe me favours! I could m-make you a personal army if you wanted to! K-killing me would mean losing all that strength!”**

It wasn’t often that Joker indulged himself in a sneer. Such a disdainful expression, it was to be reserved for the worthiest of occasions. With the sickly tone that pierced his ears though, it came as naturally as breathing. A sharp kick had the disgusting man reeling back, the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts dusting off his shoes with a sigh.

“You seem to have us mistaken. We do not need to kill you. For a man of corruption like you, there is a fate far worse in store.” Joker stated. He didn’t want to look down so condescendingly upon the Shadow, but it was rather difficult not to when he was sprawled across the ground like a drunkard. “You, who view people as nothing more than pawns, are a parasite. You claim the strength of others as your own. In bearing the power of the Phenex Family, you see yourself as invincible. The beautiful are but trophies – the weak are but insects. The moment that your weaknesses are revealed, however, you attempt to curry favour in hopes of changing the situation to your advantage in future. What was a steadfast belief in one moment is an innocent reckless remark the next.”

**“T-that… That was for the sake of my family! For everyone!”** for how brutally beaten he was, the volume of Shadow Riser’s determination was far greater than expected. It was enough to bring the shadow to his feet, albeit shakily. **“Don’t you _understand_? Devil society is one where strength means everything! If you don’t have connections, powerful connections, then you are _nothing_! In purity, we become greater! Our children would become legends! Our marriage would be a benefit for everyone!”**

“Everyone except for _most people_.” Noir couldn’t help but intrude. Fortunately, she needed not dirty herself as Joker had. The sheer deadly aura emanating from the brunette’s figure was more than enough to deter the Shadow. “To be locked in a loveless marriage, there can be no greater torture. Years spent treated like a doll, as a baby factory. For devils as yourself and Rias, that torture could last far longer than I could even imagine. As for everyone else, the prestige of such a marriage will fade in time. A man who depends on the name of his wife will not last long. Children born only for the purity of their blood will not grow well. A wife who knows nothing but of being a slave to her husband will not bring honour. For the sake of momentary gains, you sacrifice your reputation and multiple futures. Such an abominable world… I will not let it come to be.”

Riser didn’t attempt to restrain Noir as she dashed forward, the naked Rias held in a tender grasp. There was no point. To fight any longer would be courting death. Even as beaten as he was, Mona and Butterfly kept their weapons aimed true. A single errant movement and the shadow would be a smear across his fortress’ floor. With a fallen visage, the shadow of Riser Phenex could only wilt as his Palace crumbled around him.

* * *

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts were no strangers to odd treasures. Though the items they procured within Palaces were always of extreme value, the same could not be said of the treasures’ true forms. For every Olympic medal and beautiful painting came a model spaceship kit and a newsletter. As the source of the Palace host’s distorted desire, monetary value bore little influence. That was why, as he tenderly traced an elegantly forged blade of inhumane origin, Ren couldn’t hide his surprise.

“…Doubt we’re going to find someone who can take this off our hands.” He muttered as he gazed helplessly upon the weapon. Despite the ornate nature of its construction, the sword was clearly a weapon designed to slay. The ominous energy released in a single swing would decimate anyone caught in its path. “Something like this isn’t just casually sold. We’re talking about a custom-made weapon. It’s going to look suspicious if we try and get someone to sell it in the underworld.”

“But it’s not something we can sell normally either,” Mona concluded with a sigh. “Guess we’re not going to have a celebratory meal after this. Get the girl to hide it away. It’s only going to attract trouble if you keep it in your home. If nothing else, it could be a nice bargaining chip in the future. Our biggest issue is getting back and watching the fireworks.”

“I hope everything ends well for Rias. She said the ceremony for the marriage would be coming soon, didn’t she?” Haru muttered. Though they had always attempted to complete the offered mission as rapidly as possible, preparation took time. They had burned through a good portion of the given time ensuring that the skills were up to snuff. “Wait, that’s going to be in the underworld as well, correct? Then we’re not going to be able to see the results at all.”

“That is of little issue.” Lavenza was quick to assure, her grimoire snapping shut as it was placed… well, Ren wasn’t entirely sure where it went. She seemingly put it behind her back, but there was no sign of the book at all. In a brief second, it had completely disappeared to some unseen location. “You have successfully received the treasure and the location has been deleted from the Metaverse Navigator. Your mission has been a success.”

“ _Our_ mission, right? You took part as well.” Ren prompted. Rather than the uncertain visage she would express before, however, the smile that blossomed on the attendant’s face was more precious than any treasure.

“Indeed. _Our_ mission was a success.”

“Then let’s make our own feast! I can even prepare some special dishes I’ve been learning about!” Haru chirped in anticipation, her hands clasped together excitedly. “We can’t just let a successful heist go unrewarded! I’m not too sure where the best places to eat around Kuoh are yet, so we’ll just have to make our reward!”

“I’m not going to argue. We should have everything we need. These things always make me hungry.” Replied Ren good-heartedly before the magic circle gifted by Rias flared to life.

In a matter of seconds, the foreign environments of the underworld melted away, soft colours surrounding them as familiar scenery fell into place. Unprepared for when the ground rose beneath them, Haru and Ren could only fall back in surprise. Fortunately, their fall was cushioned by the mattress that rapidly formed, the bed just as perfectly made as when they left it. Morgana, however, was not so lucky. Stood upon the edge of a desk, there was the cat could keep his balance as the furniture formed beneath him. As soon as the light of the magic circle faded, a screech could be heard as he fell to the ground. Only Lavenza remained undisturbed, stood serenely in the centre of the room.

“…Hardly the cleanest of entrances, but I can’t complain.” Was all Ren could remark with a small chuckle, rising from the bed. Oh, how he would’ve loved to remain sequestered with Haru, but there was a time and place for everything. Perhaps they would be able to better enjoy themselves once Morgana and Lavenza weren’t in the room. “Come on then. If we want to have this feast, we need to start cooking soon.”

Though it was far from the most appropriate storage, the sword they received would be relatively safe within the bedroom. It wasn’t as if they had any other place to put it, after all. Their cupboards were far too small for such an impressive weapon and it would be an insult to have it sitting in a bathroom. With the entire lower floor out of the question, the sword would just have to make do on the ground for now.

Ren was quickly pulled out of his musings by the knock on the door, a confused glance to those surrounding before he moved towards the entrance. Greeted by a blonde-haired maid with the brightest expression imaginable, Ren could only blink owlishly. Though it was hardly the first time Ren had found a maid upon his doorstep, it was usually after he had made a call for one.

“Might I… help you?” he could only helplessly voice, the maid’s enthusiasm waning slightly as it made way for confusion. “I’m afraid we didn’t call for any delivery health services. Maybe try next door.”

“W-wait!” ten seconds away from closing the door on her, Ren relented when she suddenly grabbed hold of his hand. It wasn’t a strong grasp by any means; a slight shudder would be enough to shake the blonde off. The only thing stopping Ren was the small gasp of recognition from behind. “You must be the other owner Miss Haru was speaking of! My name is Mercedes, recently hired to work here. I was hoping I could receive approval for my uniform!”

“She’s correct Ren. I figured with what she showed me before, you would be pretty happy having her work here.” Haru interjected. The pleasant smile on her face, though, was tempered by the unreadable expression in her eyes. She tried her best, but Haru simply couldn’t pull them away from the odd sight within the doorway. “I must admit, I never expected… attire like that. Sister Mercy, what on earth are you wearing?”

“Ah… it was a suggestion from a dear friend of mine. They heard about my new job and told me such clothes were appropriate. I never expected such a strange reaction.” Though it required a small cough, the elegance Mercy had expressed on that first meeting was quickly returned. Despite that, it was tempered by no small measure of embarrassment, her cheeks alit. “As I said, I came for approval to make sure it was suitable, but it appears I have been misled. I can almost hear her laughing at my expense…”

No words came to Ren’s mouth. Unsure of how to respond, he settled with an exasperated shake of his head. He should’ve expected as much, really, but Ren had been too distracted at the time to care. Their motley crew were simply the kind of people who couldn’t attract ordinary personalities. They were doomed from the moment they put up the ‘help wanted’ sign. Still, he could do far worse than naïve and sheltered… Haru seemed to get along with her well, at least.

“Well, no point debating it. Honestly, we’re fine as long as you don’t look _too_ casual. we’re a business, but a friendly and welcoming atmosphere is more important than some specific uniform.” Ren spoke, receiving a quick nod of acknowledgement from Mercy. “Still, might as well give you my test if you’re here. We were planning on making a meal; care to join?”

“Oh, are you certain? I wouldn’t dare intrude.” Mercy was quick to return. “From what Miss Haru spoke of, you have been working strenuously this week, correct? If this is your first time relaxing, it would be rude of me to partake.”

“Didn’t you hear me? This is part of my test.” The insistence caused Mercy to tilt her head in confusion, eliciting a small chuckle from Ren. “What? Did you think impressing Haru alone would be enough? This is a joint effort. You help me make the food and I get to see how good your skills are. If you just so happen to be around once we’re done, there’s no harm in eating food you made. Doesn’t that sound fair? Give me a chance to better know you at the same time.”

“…Well, when put like that, I have no room to deny.” Replied the blonde, her hands held together in thankful prayer. “I have yet to demonstrate my tea-making ability to you. Once you try them, I’m certain you’ll be just as enthralled as Miss Haru!”

“I’m not the only judge here. If Lavenza isn’t satisfied as well, I’ll need to put you through some special training.” At the warning, Mercy turned to the girl, barely noticeable as she stood in the corner. With such an innocent smile and minute size, it was only natural that Mercy’s heart melted in a second.

“I promise not to be too harsh with my judgements. It will be a pleasure to sample your creations.” If Ren wanted to draw her into this little game of his, then Lavenza was more than happy to play her part. From the new energy in the blonde’s movements, it could not be denied that the motivation was effective.

“I really can’t afford to fail now, can I? Lead the way. I shall show you the generosity of my Lord!”

* * *

It took all of Rias’ strength to keep her straight face. While she was rather proud of her mental composure, Riser seemed to get a kick out of pushing Rias to her limits. From the excessive ‘affection’ to the venomous praises dripping from his lips, nearly every action the man made in the past few days served to irk her. Not even her peerage was spared, not if the thinly veiled insults Riser spat to his colleagues meant anything.

It wasn’t as if they could do anything, however. Not as they were right now. No matter how disgusting a man Riser might’ve been, attacking him so blatantly in such a densely populated area would only serve to damage her family’s reputation. As for her peerage? Well, they were merely low-level reincarnated devils. Attacking a pureblooded King would be akin to suicide. Even if the false smiles were painful to hold, they had no alternative.

“How idiotic. He has me in a dress like this for an engagement party?” Rias muttered to herself as she tugged at an elaborate collar.

If Riser’s claims were to be believed, the best tailor’s money could afford had painstakingly put the entire outfit together. How dearly Rias wished to rip the blasted thing from her body. The damn thing made it look as if Rias was already married – exactly as the Phenex had intended. If everything went without issue, it wasn’t as if he was completely wrong. Once the engagement was settled, it would be… difficult to break the contract, to say the least. Rias didn’t need to be a genius to understand that Riser wouldn’t let her go so easily.

Her only hope lay with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, a group from which she had heard woefully little. Sure, they had briefly gotten Souna to contact her regarding gun models of all things, but there had been radio silence since. If Rias had known they were going to be so lax in their mission, she never would’ve approached them. Better to have poached Issei and utilised his power than place her trust in a bunch of rumour and hearsay. Surely there would’ve been some change had their job been a success? Yet for the entire period since the meeting with Rias at Kuoh Academy, Riser had remained the same bastard he always was.

“Lady Rias. You asked me to inform you should your device activate.”

Fortunately, the gentle remark from one of many maids drew the redhead out of her musings before they could grow too vitriolic. In less than a second, every ounce of bitterness Rias felt was swallowed, giving way to a pleasant geniality that brought a smile to her face as she accepted the phone. After all, there was no reason to unload such dark emotions upon them. What blame could mere maids hold?

Seeing Ren’s image quickly made that geniality disappear, replaced by panicked anxiety as Rias rushed to open his message. Far from her typical calm and collected self, her fingers nearly struggled with reaching the appropriate app, eagerly clicking her latest message and finding…

“A winking face?” she couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief. It was hardly the most professional correspondence Rias had ever received. Admittedly, it wasn’t so unprecedented. After having seen those shoddily formed calling cards delivered to a huge portion of devil families, she should’ve expected that their communications would bear the same irreverence. “Seriously, how childish of them…”

Yet Rias couldn’t find it in her to feel upset with them. If she was reading their succinct text correctly, the outcome was one of the best she could’ve wished for. It had come later than expected, for sure, but Rias’ delight meant she cared little. If it weren’t for the rows of maids attending to her at the moment, the redhead would’ve surely begun dancing out of sheer delight. As it was, it took all of Rias’ effort to keep her tone steady as she called out.

“Has there been any news of Riser?”

“Unfortunately, we have yet to hear of him, Lady Rias. From what we are aware, he has not left his room as of this moment.” The maid’s answer finally brought a nod of acknowledgement to the redhead as she gazed once more towards the mirror. While the dress was no less tacky than it was a minute ago, it suddenly felt far more bearable. If it meant seeing what the rumours spoke of, then Rias was more than happy to don it for a short period. “Shall we escort you without him?”

“Yes, I believe that would be best. I’m sure Riser will make his appearance soon enough.” Rias sighed. Perhaps a little melodramatic, but the maids weren’t paid enough to comment on it. “There are people I must meet anyway. This will provide me with a good opportunity. Please alter the teleportation so that I appear just outside the room. Without Riser, such a dramatic entrance is unnecessary.”

As soon as her statement was finished, the maids set to work with mechanical precision. As a pair carefully combed over Rias’ appearance to ensure no mistakes were made, the rest combined their strength in a manner most would find unnecessary. With a power level as low as theirs, however, it was a necessity, especially with the entrance Riser had initially planned. Though they would never voice it, changing to a more discrete transportation circle was a blessing concerning the energy required. It meant that once Rias carefully stepped into the magic and was whisked away, the maids weren’t left sprawled across the ground.

Not that the redhead paid much attention to that. After all, the wave of interjecting voices was more than enough to draw her attention, and that was with the doors still closed. As soon as Rias stepped forth into the ballroom, it was a cacophony of men, women and children alike, all mingling with one another. So distracted by their small talk, none seemed to notice her entrance, a fact that had Rias sighing in relief. Trying to find her peerage was made all the easier.

“My, President! We had lost any hope of seeing you alone tonight.” Akeno’s greeting drew the rest of the peerage’s attention, Rias’ smile matching the others in their exuberance. “Is there a reason why you have escaped Riser’s side? Considering the point of this party, I would’ve thought he’d never let you slip away.”

“It seems Riser has met with some obstruction. He hasn’t left his room and the maids hadn’t heard of his situation. Better to take the chance while I still can.” Rias replied. Her relief was as palpable as it was infective, passing over Rias’ peerage. The hands holding their drinks found themselves losing the nervous strength in their grip. “I also received a lovely little message from our latest acquaintances. Something tells me the two aren’t so disconnected. Hopefully, I’ll get to watch the fireworks alongside my cute peerage rather than stuck on display.”

“Well, it should certainly be intriguing if the tales I heard were correct. Teachers outing themselves in front of the entire school, artists outing themselves on public broadcasts… they’re all apparently connected to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.” Yuuto spoke out, his face pensive as he took a sip of his wine. While he may have been considered too young for drinking in Japan, such qualms were less of an issue in the underworld. A party without wine, after all, was barely a party. “There is even talk of those who died thanks to their influence. It leaves the question of just what we may be about to witness.”

“I hope he dies. He deserves it.” Koneko’s blunt statement may have caused more than a few awkward chuckles from her peers, but they didn’t last long. Such brutal honesty was a trademark of the Rook. They had long since gotten used to her mindset. Besides, they were very much of similar minds. “He’s a Phenex. He would just revive.”

“Now-now, such harsh words shouldn’t come from my sweet little Rook at a time like this.” Rias gently warned, drawing Koneko closer so she could properly pet her head. Though her face was masked with indifference, the fact that Koneko didn’t fight back in the first place was more than sign enough for Rias to continue. Had it been anyone else, they would’ve already received a fist to the stomach. “How he chooses to express his revelation matters not, so long as he does so. Right now, we should focus on enjoying the – he’s arriving.”

Her peerage may not have been trained enough to detect the teleportation circle activating, but Rias had more than enough experience. If it was recognising the Phenexes’ signature circle, then it was even simpler. That was why she nor many of the others gathered showed much surprise when the main star of the event made his appearance in a burst of crimson flame. No, it was his dejected stance that drew the crowd into murmurs of confusion. The tears that fell only added fuel to the fire.

“I-I… I thank you all for being here…” Riser struggled to splutter through his tears. Though his parents attempted to rush forward, the blonde throwing out his hand quickly froze them in place. “There is an announcement I must make. An a-announcement regarding my e-engagement to Rias Gremory… I’m cancelling it…”

The pitiful noise of Riser’s tears was easily drowned out by the resulting uproar. With how proudly the Phenexes had boasted of their coming engagement to the Gremory family, having it broken on such short notice was bound to cause chaos. That the revelation was given in such an uncharacteristic manner only stirred the mess further. It was only natural that none of the gathered devils was quite sure how to respond, least of all Riser’s parents as they rushed forward.

“What are you _talking_ about Riser? Pull yourself together!” roared his father, powerful hands upon his Riser’s shoulders shaking him as if he were possessed. Following such an unprompted and nonpermitted inversion of Riser’s prior opinion, it wasn’t the strangest of possibilities. “You of all people should know the importance of this marriage and you’re spitting nonsense like _this_? You’d throw away the future of devils in a fit of insanity?”

“This was never about the future of devils, Father!” Riser’s impassioned cry sent his father reeling back into his wife’s hands. Though trembling fingers wiped away the tears in his eyes, the strength once lost had returned to the blonde’s body. “This sham of a marriage was for the prestige and you know it! We’ve _always_ known it. You wanted the fame that would come with combining two powerful bloodlines. I wanted to have such a beautiful girl call herself my wife… We treated Rias as if she was a pawn, a means to an end!”

“Come now Riser, you’ve deluded yourself. You should show this kind of unsightly face in public.” Riser’s mother rushed to announce, standing before her son with an apologetic bow. Whether the gathered men and women were convinced was another thing entirely, but that didn’t stop Lady Phenex from attempting the charade. “We were aware that Riser was getting ill, but we never realised it was to this extent. Please, enjoy yourselves while we tend to him. Rest assured, the marriage _will_ be go-!”

“No, Mother, Father! There’s no point!” struggling out of his parents’ restraint, Riser’s eyes desperately searched through the crowd for any sign of red. Though she had tried her best to hide, it would’ve been impossible to evade Riser’s sight forever. “Rias! Rias, I’m s-sorry! I wanted to make that strength and beauty mine, w-without thinking of your feelings! I put you through so much suffering! Please f-f-forgive me!”

It was as if Moses had parted the red seas. Rias was left staring stoically as the entire ballroom split in a manner of seconds as an ocean of eyes turned onto her. There were several ways she could potentially take this opportunity, each just as personally entertaining as the last. Whether Rias would survive the repercussions of such displays in public, however, forced her to take the tamest of her options.

The echo of her heels rang like thunder, or perhaps that was the small amount of her demonic energy leaking out. It wasn’t necessary per se, not at all. She had no delusions of attacking anyone so blatantly, least of all someone protected by parents with regeneration and years of battle experience. Did it help make Rias appear all the more imposing as she stepped forth? Of course it did. If there was ever a chance to completely destroy the image of an innocent inexperienced heiress, that moment was it.

“…Seeing as there’s no need to mince words any longer, I shall be blunt. You have caused me incredible annoyance.” The redhead’s words cut through the tense atmosphere, her pleasant smile remaining even in the face of the darkening expressions of Lord and Lady Phenex. “You had made it obvious from the beginning that you cared little for me as a sentient being. Whether it be obstructing my education, forcing your peerage to whore themselves to demonstrate my future or speaking with nothing but condescension, you have sought to put me in my place from the start. Had I not naively assumed that at least your thoughts of keeping devils pureblooded were genuine, perhaps I would’ve shown even greater opposition to this engagement.”

Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. Rias had certainly never held back in attempting to weasel her way out of the marriage. By phrasing it as she had though, it framed the audience to view her actions as restrained. Unless they purposefully asked her family of the extents she went to (and none would dare be so foolish), then Rias was a victim who only went along as much as she had for the sake of society. Any attempts by the Phenexes to imply otherwise? _Clearly_ a desperate attempt to save face.

“Regardless, I cannot lay all the blame upon yourself, Riser. After all, is it not the job of the parent to guide their child?” Rias mused aloud, a pointed sigh as she played with the tip of her hair. Anyone would have to be blind to miss the unbridled outrage painted across their features. Stood on a stage of their creation, they wouldn’t dare act out. Rias was free to make as many veiled remarks as she wished. “If we are to trust in your words, Riser, then your parents hold just as much guilt as you do. To treat you as the sole offender would be needlessly biased. Therefore, if you’re willing to call off this engagement, I can only ask for minor reparations.”

“You speak out of turn!” Lord Phenex growled, his arm already alight as he stepped forward. The sharp claps from the crowd prevented him from proceeding too far, however. With the audience parting to reveal the culprit, those burgeoning flames died without a sound. Well, there was a choking noise, but that came from Lady Phenex.

“Brother Sirzechs?”

“How intriguing, don’t you agree? I expected some entertainment, but nothing to this extent.” The man mused with no small amount of amusement in his voice. What a contrast it made to the terrifying aura surrounding him. Those devils unfortunate to be close found themselves struggling to stand upright, some even falling to the ground in his wake. “Apologies for my late arrival, Lord and Lady Phenex. Had I known such revelations had been planned, I would’ve sought to leave my duties somewhat earlier.”

“ _Entertainment_? Maou Lucifer, I mean no offence when I say your sister has decided to speak out of turn!” Lord Phenex was the first recover, a delightful wave of spittle flying from his lips as he cried out. It was a mercy that the latest arrival hadn’t stepped too close, lest he face the indignity of being sprayed. “As it is, her insults cannot stand!”

“Hm… Insults, you say?” was the rather casual response. “The way I see it, your son has just admitted to committing several acts unbefitting of a scion of the Phenex family to the Heiress Apparent of the Gremory Family. These acts were committed with intentions not only shared, but encouraged by his parents. Intentions for which I have yet to hear any repentance or apology. Even if I ignore our familial connection, such blatant mistreatment of one party by another is worthy of some sort of compensation.”

If Lord Phenex had any retort, he failed to voice it. From the way he clutched at his throat, he physically wasn’t capable. The same could be said for several others in the immediate vicinity, the serene expression upon the man’s face growing more oppressive by the breath. Only Rias dared speak in his presence and even then, her lips remained firmly shut. What point was there to voicing any opposition when one of the strongest warriors in the underworld was fighting for her cause?

“Under normal circumstances, I would consider the cancellation of the engagement compensation enough. In contracts between families of prestige, the loss of a bride price is no insignificant cost. In a contract such as the one between the Gremory and Phenex families, where no such additions were included, neither side has much to lose in that alone though.” Sirzechs stated. it may have seemed effortless on his end, but it captured the room regardless. The sheer power permeating his words could silence even the rowdiest of men. “…Very well, let it be so. For seeking to take advantage of the Heiress Apparent of the Gremory Family, the Phenex family will be required to provide their tears free of charge for a period to be determined. Contact between Riser Phenex and Rias Gremory will be restricted during this time, as well as between their peerages for all save for essential communications.”

It was an extreme punishment, but one few would argue. If their children had been found in a similar situation, many would demand the same scale of consequence. To ask for anything lesser would be to place a low price upon their name – needless to say, none were so idiotic as to give the impression that demeaning their own was worth so little. That didn’t mean those gathered couldn’t wince at hearing said punishment be forced upon the Phenex family. Considering how much they charged for their tears, it was essentially asking for a small fortune to be given for free.

“I…I understand, Maou Lucifer. We shall begin making preparations immediately.” Lord Phenex muttered, any sign of his previous anger replaced by a nearly palpable dejection. With all present to see, the entire family hung their heads as they were forced to leave their own event. It was hardly sportsman-like of her, but it was rather difficult for Rias to hide her amusement at such a sight.

“Well then, dear Rias. It seems as if we have another reason to celebrate tonight. To justice being served.” When her brother held out a wine glass, it would’ve been rude for Rias not to return the favour. That he was being as restrained as he was in the first place was already miracle enough. “I always knew of your unfortunate circumstances, but never would I have expected so ripe an opportunity to reveal itself. It’s a shame, really. I had more than a few surprises in place for tonight.”

“Please don’t tell me you planned some sort of convoluted scheme, Sirzechs. At least this way we managed to keep our family’s pride.” Rias sighed half-heartedly. Honestly, for someone who was meant to remain neutral, Sirzechs had an astounding penchant for utilising his strength for such relatively petty matters. “Knowing you, I would be reduced to little more than a damsel in distress while the brave knight Sirzechs and his party came to save the day. I’d like to think my reputation has improved following tonight.”

“How can I disagree? My precious little sister standing up for herself in front of so many people!” Sirzech’s cooed in return, his restraint finally breaking. It wasn’t as if the hug that he drew Rias into wasn’t welcome, but it was dreadfully embarrassing. It seemed only her brother could turn Rias’ face the same shade as her hair. “You’ve grown up so fast!”

“Public! We’re in _public!_ ”

“Ah, yes.” To his credit, Sirzechs at least had the courtesy to look somewhat contrite. The goofy smile that remained spoke volumes though. Fortunately, a cough returned the intimidating Maou Lucifer. “Then allow me to keep the conversation formal then. Rias, did you have any influence over Riser’s… uncharacteristic outburst tonight?”

“And what do you think I could have done? You know full well that he wouldn’t listen to me. I’m as surprised as you are that he reacted like that.” Rias easily replied, a long draw from her glass bringing a sigh of satisfaction. As she saw her brother’s raised eyebrow, however, she could only sigh. “I’m serious, Brother. It’s not as if I could forcibly change his mind or anything. If I could, this whole mess would’ve been over so much faster.”

“Of course, of course. I suppose my mind has yet to relax after the stress of work. I’ll take the opportunity to get a few more drinks down me without Mother or Father shouting down my ear.” His statement came with a chuckle, but the glint in his eyes remained strong. Such a response wasn’t normal, especially from one like Riser. “It seems as if there’ll be even more investigating to be done tomorrow.”


	11. Viral intruders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On programmes and proposals.

"They certainly perform in the most interesting of ways, don't they?" the witch mused as she glanced through her window, absently receiving the offered tea placed beside her. "For all the hesitance that boy showed before, he slots back into his role with effortless ease. How curious."

"For a puppet, I suppose there is comfort in the strings." The nun remarked in turn, turning her own gaze to the starry void that her friend so enjoyed. How such an inconceivable space could reveal so much, the nun would never know. Considering how little the witch seemed to understand of her powers though, perhaps the feeling was mutual. It mattered not how their mysteries functioned; what were a few secrets between friends? "I would hardly call that child the most dangerous of foes though. How blissfully he waltzes through life. Boys as innocent as he was will find their worlds sullied one day or another."

"All too true my dear. Regardless, that doesn't mean his soul didn't put up an intriguing fight. Their merits are not to be dismissed so easily." Came the witch's reply, followed by a low hum as soothing tea cleansed her throat. Paired with such excellent entertainment, the beverage couldn't have gone down smoother. "That man chooses his acquaintances well. I see no reason why they should not fulfil their purpose."

"There can be no doubt that they are skilled, I'll grant you that much… whether they can withstand what is to come is an entirely different story."

It wasn't entirely in her nature to act as the straight man, yet the whimsical nature of her friend meant the nun had little choice. The witch was too easily swayed; her heart would often run right when her head called her to go left. If the nun didn't show caution, then any hopes of a positive future may very well have been lost to an easily dissuaded impulse. Regardless, the nun's comment only received playful laughter in return.

"Oh, you fret too much. Did you not believe their youthful faces were indicative of their strength before?" a wry smile appeared on the nun's face at those words. Even if the witch's rationale wasn't the best, her memory was clearly still strong. "For someone who calls themselves a woman of religion, you have woefully little faith at times."

"And for one who calls themselves a witch, you can have an alarming amount." The nun couldn't help but playfully retort. That wry smile wouldn't last long though, a more concerned expression taking form. "In all seriousness, a success like this can only take them so far. Their group together at their strongest may have been able to defeat a false god, but can they replicate such a feat as they are now?"

"Of course. That man is no idiot; they wouldn't have been sent if they lacked the capability to flourish. Their strength shall withstand the burden soon to fall on their shoulders." The witch answered, no hesitation to be found. After all, with the childish joy emanating from her, there may have well been no room for any negative emotion at all. "The only question remaining is just how their journey will unfold…"

* * *

The sensation of a head upon his heart was still foreign to Ren. Having shared a bed for so little time, awaking to Haru by his side _in general_ was still a novel concept. It was… Ren lacked the words to describe it. Somehow, her touch alone enveloped Ren in a special comfort that left him craving for more. With Haru's body so closely moulded upon his own, her heat brought a warmth to his cheeks and a chill to his spine. The sound of her breaths came as a lullaby upon Ren's ears, any worries melting away the longer he listened. Never had he allowed himself to become so relaxed in another's presence, yet Haru seemed to crush any reservations Ren held effortlessly. The tantalising flesh exposed by her nightwear? Well, that was a bonus. Perhaps in another world, the caring love of a mother might've prepared Ren more emotionally for a moment like this. Having lived with a home that could be called neutral at best? The radiance of Haru was blinding.

Ren never could be quite sure when he started stroking Haru's head. With how invitingly soft it was, his hands seemed to naturally gravitate towards it. At first, they had been hesitant, as if the slightest of movements would shatter her blissful rest. Once Haru's satisfied purr began to be audible however, any hesitation dissolved immediately. It was a good thing Haru had summarily banished Morgana to his own bed, much to his vocal disapproval – had he awoken to such a scene, Morgana's jealously would've shot through the roof.

"Are you going to keep pretending to be asleep, or should I get started on breakfast?" whispering directly into her ear, a smile came to Ren's face as he felt Haru squirm. It had been the most minute of changes in her breathing, but Ren's instincts meant he had noticed it immediately. Anything less would be an insult to their titles as Phantom Thieves, and Haru knew that all too well.

"I figured you were having fun." Came the sly response, Haru rising as she stretched her body out. Granted with a perfect view, it took all of Ren's strength not to react, something that brought a small teasing pout to Haru's face. " _I_ was enjoying myself at least. Could you blame me for wanting to feel it for a little longer? A lay-in never hurt anyone."

"We've got work to do, no matter how nice the idea sounds." He retorted, sliding out from beneath his girlfriend with only minimal reluctance. "It isn't summer anymore. Trying to be independent doesn't really work out if we have to rely on your family for living money."

"Spoilsport." Their banter was momentarily set aside by the sound of the door's creak, Haru squeaking as she scrambled back under the covers. While Haru may not have held the same reservations before another cat, Morgana's sentience meant that it was no different than any other boy seeing her exposed. Regardless of how little Haru actually revealed in her nightwear, her modesty wouldn't allow even that much to be shown without good reason. "Morgana, I thought I said you can't just stroll into our room!"

"I came to return the phone you left with me last night. Only reason I noticed is that the thing decided to go berserk a couple of minutes ago!" the cat couldn't have spat the device with any more venom if he tried. With a head raised with obscene levels of annoyance, Morgana was determined to make a show of stepping over it as he leapt onto the bed. "You seriously need to get that thing replaced! Do you know how annoying it is waking up to the kind of racket this thing was giving off? I'm surprised you couldn't hear it from here!"

"My phone? Weird, nobody but the others and the company should be messaging me, and the company rarely does so." Haru mused as she picked up the discarded device, making a point of not acknowledging the slight growl Morgana threw at it. "Maybe Yusuke wanted to ask me about something. He always seems to be fishing for a dis-what?"

"What's up?" Ren muttered, drawing Haru into his arms. Granted with a view of her screen, however, the nonchalance upon his face rapidly melted away. After all, the designs of Mishima were unmistakable. Several glaring differences though meant Ren's guard curiosity was not so easily sated. "The Phantom Aficionados… _Underground_?"

Ignoring the odd subtitle, the poll's question usually so prominently printed was nowhere to found, only the bar beneath sitting at just one per cent. The multitude of comments gathered over a month was nowhere to be seen either, nought but a single message in their place. Naturally, the pair's eyes gravitated towards it, soon joined by a Morgana perched upon Ren's head.

" _ **It was impressive, to be sure. I suppose a small part of me doubted your abilities, but you've proven more than capable."**_

**~AWAITING REPLY~**

The message alone didn't seem that suspicious. Though the language was somewhat more flowery than the typical comment, there had been plenty like it. Their escapades as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had benefitted many and earned the resentment of an equal number. It was fair enough to expect all kinds of people providing their opinion on their work. The name beneath it, however, sent Ren's eyebrow rising in confusion.

"Something's wrong, I can't seem to click away…" Haru spoke, fingers working tirelessly in every way she could imagine. When every option seemed to come up fruitless, she was left one step away from throwing her phone. "How _lovely_ , we're left at the whims of whatever code has been forced onto my phone… I thought Futaba claimed even government officials would fail to break her defences?"

"Something tells me we're not dealing with any random hacker." Ren's reply was punctuated by his sudden movements dragging him out of bed, both cat and woman alike gently crying out when their support. In no time at all, the hastily thrown about clothes upon the floor found themselves upon Ren's body, only a moment spent tidying his appearance before he reached for the door. Haru barely had the time to breathe before she was scrambling for her own haphazardly placed clothing, lest her boyfriend leave her in the dust. "Let's go. If we want any answers, we don't have any other choice."

"Wait, who are we going to ask?" Haru struggled to say through the armhole of a sweater, only realising her mistake when she tried to fit her head through a hole woefully too small for it. Honestly, it would've been one of the most adorable things Ren ever witnessed if it weren't for the current situation. As it was, Ren could only turn his head back with a resolute glint to his eyes.

"Didn't you see the name underneath the comment?" He said in turn. "If anyone's going to know something about this weird site, might as well be the one person who's left a message – _Rias Gremory_."

* * *

Rias grimaced as the Occult Research Clubroom materialised around her. Though the curtains were drawn, the stark difference between the light of Lilith and the Human World was not so easily adjusted to. It was only her frequent travel between the two that had Rias recovering as fast as she did, something which could not be said for the more recent of her peerage. It was only a few additional seconds before they adjusted, but irritations being extended for _any_ period weren't exactly welcomed.

"Right then. Yuuto, please prepare whatever work was required of us during our absence. I would rather not have our reputations tarnished over such a minor matter. Akeno, Koneko, check over our connections and assess the state of our clients. Nothing major should have occurred, but it's better to be safe than sorry." The redhead immediately ordered, the two addressed immediately stepping into action. However luxurious their celebrations may have been, their duties could only be put off for so long. Unless they wanted to risk the relationships they held with their clients, it was best to resume activities as soon as possible. "Hah, if only Gasper could've joined us. To be locked up during such fanciful celebrations; his Sacred Gear truly is a bane at times…"

"I'm sure he'll appreciate the food we've brought back for him." Akeno smoothly replied, already sorting her way through several papers with practised ease. a sharp knock at the door however swiftly cut her work short, a brilliant smile rapidly taking place as Akeno reached to open it. "…Oh my, what a wonderful sense of timing you have. I didn't think you would notice our return so easily."

"Consider it more luck than anything else. I'm not exactly psychic or anything." The voice that answered caused Rias' ears to prick up, a brief flash of surprise crossing the girl's visage. She had been expecting the return of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, but mere moments after her peerage returned to the human world? Such timing could never be accidental. The gruff tone that entered their leader's remark wasn't too reassuring either. "I was just hoping to have a chat with Rias. See if she could explain something."

A thousand thoughts flew by in a second. What could Rias have done? Their contract had been complete without issue, the payment had already been made. She had not intentionally obstructed their work, nor could she imagine anything she could've done unintentionally. The possibility of Rias having caused any grievances was minimal at worst, yet the irritation weaved into Ren's words wouldn't have been conjured without reason… unless…

"This wouldn't have anything to do with my brother, would it?" Rias spoke with a weary sigh, beckoning Ren forth. It wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility, not with the power and influence Sirzechs wielded. Thanks to bullheadedness Sirzechs reserved purely for actions involving Rias, it was disturbingly easy to see him making a nuisance of himself. "I apologise if he has done something to offend you. He can become rather intrusive regarding matters concerning me."

"Thanks for the warning, but that wasn't I was talking about." An eyebrow rose as Ren took the offered cup from Akeno, one cautious gaze towards the liquid before it was downed in a single draw. Clearly the time for pleasantries had passed. Rias would've felt offended, had he not been so crucial to the downfall of Riser. "I'm more interested in something that's popped up regarding our deal."

"Is there an issue of sorts? If there is, I shall do my best to rectify it. I hardly wish to make an enemy of you after such a wonderful display." The redhead replied, any budding nervousness quashed with little hesitation. Riser's breakdown had allowed Rias to elevate her image amongst her peers; best not to ruin it by having the Phantom Thieves of Hearts inflict the same upon her. "It was impressive, to be sure. I suppose a small part of me doubted your abilities, but you've proven more than capable."

"What did you just say?" Rias' peerage found themselves on edge as Ren leant forward, only the brief glance from their King preventing them from acting. Though they may have relented after a second, that didn't stop their eyes from being glued to Ren's back. Guest or not, there was a limit to the Occult Research Club's hospitality – undue behaviour had its consequences. "Again. No deviations, tell me what you just said _exactly_."

"E-excuse me? That's… not so easily done." Rias carefully answered, leaning back as far as she could. No matter what she did however, the cold stare from Ren continued to pierce right through to her soul. "It was impressive, to be sure. Um, I suppose a small part of me doubted your abilities, but you proved more than capable. That is correct, yes?"

Ren didn't answer, instead finally settling back in his seat with an unreadable expression. it was only then that Rias allowed her heart to return to normal, her composure returning as she sipped her tea. She had done nothing to insult him, nor had she broken the contract – so long as she kept that in mind, there was no reason to fear the man before her. Even so, the swift flick of Ren's wrist nearly had Rias reeling, only the sight of a harmless phone hitting the desk to keep her seated.

"The Phantom Aficionados Underground?" she had heard of a website associated with the Phantom Thieves, but it was hardly the most important of factors when Rias was researching them. Why it would cause such an issue was beyond her understanding, especially when it had so little to show. It took her scrolling downward before a confused expression began to take root. "No, it must be a fake. I only recently learned of your exploits; it can't possibly be – wait..."

"Damn thing decided to force its way onto Haru and my phones this morning. You can imagine my surprise when I find out the only comment apparently came from you. Considering that the only people who know of our deal is us lot and that Souna girl, I figured I would pop in and see if I could get an explanation." Ren muttered, fingers absently tapping upon the table. "Then you just so happen to say the same lines as the comment by coincidence? Today just gets weirder and weirder."

"I admit, I'm not sure how to respond. That a supernatural entity has messed with your phone can't be denied, but Souna and I keep track of all non-human activity within Kuoh City. Nobody has entered for the duration of our contract bar a stray devil or two. Insane as they are, I highly doubt they have the mental capacity to utilise the magic required to interact with technology." Rias mused aloud, handing the phone back to its owner.

It wasn't necessary, for Rias could sense the energy coating the device even from a distance. Now that she knew it was there, it might as well have been a beacon blaring its presence for all to see. With the right level of power, removing it would be a breeze. There was a reason why such magic was usually restricted to preventing the discovery of the supernatural by humans. Unless you had confidence in your magical strength, it was relatively easy for someone to counter the spell. That was why Rias showed no hesitation in attempting to break through the magic.

"… _How_?" with eyes ablaze with demonic energy, the power forcing a breeze through her hair, Rias cut an intimidating figure. Staring so intently at the phone in Ren's hand, Ren wouldn't have been surprised had it broke under the pressure of the glare alone. As it was though, the phone didn't respond at all to whatever Rias was attempting to conjure, a fact that had the girl biting at her lip. "This signature, it should be something that my energy should adequately overpower! So why isn't it _working_?"

That wasn't to say the magic was weak by any means. It was certainly stronger than anything the Fallen Angels who had invaded would be capable of producing. The nun's Sacred Gear may have given her an edge, but even that wouldn't match the signature upon the phone. Even so, Rias' initial scan had come up with nothing that should've given her trouble. Her inheritance was specifically called the 'power of destruction', Rias should've been able to remove it in a matter of seconds.

Yet it seemed no matter how the redhead approached it, her every attempt was rebuffed. Anything vaguely subtle wouldn't leave a dent, let alone come close to breaking the spell, and increasing the power did little to change that. All too soon, Rias was throwing everything she could towards the phone – anything more and there wouldn't _be_ a phone left to remove the magic from. The only thing her efforts achieved was revealing a magic circle far more intricate than any had seen before, incomprehensible symbols shining with a mint-coloured glow.

"I'm guessing from those looks of confusion that this isn't something you can just magic away then?" Ren sighed as the phone was snatched out of his hands faster than he could blink, a quick order having Akeno joining Rias in pouring over the projection.

With all of the fancy flashes and whispers, Ren didn't have to be a genius to see just how over his head the whole process was. Hell, he wasn't even entirely sure how his _own_ power worked at times. When the most one did was basically focus and call out a name, understanding how it functioned was no more than a pipe dream. Then again, when you threw things like gods and demons into the mix, perhaps it was better for Ren's mental health that he remained unaware.

"How vexing… it's beyond anything I've ever seen before, and that's saying something." Rias eventually groaned, leaning back with as much visible frustration as one could muster. "By all rights, it should be a relatively weak mid-level spell at most. The readings coming off it are simply too low for it to be anything stronger. The actual construction of it, however, appears to be of expert quality, perhaps even the work of a Satan. No matter the approach, I get rebuffed without question. That level of efficiency for so low a magical cost means that only a professional could've created it. Needless to say, a person of that aptitude appearing within this territory would not go unnoticed."

"I'd say something about our little visit to the Phenex household, but we only needed to reach the very edge. I doubt someone would've noticed us _and_ managed to et something on our phones before we got to work." Ren added with a sigh.

"Indeed. Besides, their skills lay in business and Rating Games. There's no one within their family who would be capable of such a feat." Continued Rias. "Regardless, the spell doesn't appear to be malicious. If it was actively tracking you, then there would be a clear tell. Considering how well the spell is made though, I wouldn't entirely put it out of mind."

"Great, potential magic stalker then. Can't say I appreciate the thought." Came the bitter response. The only thing stopping his knife going through the device was the precious data held within. Until they got new models, Ren simply couldn't risk losing what was held inside the phone. "…I guess it doesn't make a difference at this point. If this person _is_ tracking us down, then they probably already know about our current residence. Moving would be way too much of a hassle though…"

"I don't see why you would need to move. So long as you have adequate protection over that cute little café of yours, you won't need to worry about a thing." Rias' statement managed to earn her a raised eyebrow from both Ren and Akeno, only the knowing glint to Rias' eyes preventing her Queen from speaking up. "If you require it, I'm certain I could provide someone who could erect a barrier around your abode. Not only would it help protect it, but it should also prevent any further spells from interfering with you and those around you."

"And how much are we paying for this kind of protection? A lump sum or a monthly fee?" though the answer couldn't have been any blunter, Rias didn't allow her face to fall. After all, she had no reason to expect any other response. While they might've initially refused the reward offered to them, there was no reason to expect the Phantom Thieves of Hearts would assume the same of everyone else. Anyone in Ren's position would be of the same mindset. Well, maybe they wouldn't have been playing with a knife so casually as Ren was. "I'm guessing from the look of your friend that you don't usually give these things out for free."

"How hurtful. I'd like to think our prior interactions had already demonstrated my desire for a good working relationship." Rias commented offhandedly, paired with a flick of her hair. "Consider this as compensation for bringing this mysterious intruder to my attention. If someone of this skill is lurking about inside of my territory, then it's my job to weed them but and ensure the people of Kuoh city remain unharmed. That just so happens to include you. Besides, who knows what sort of trouble this intruder could've caused if you didn't bring their presence to my attention? If there was any payment required… could you possibly donate that phone to me? I'd like to dig a little deeper into the workings of that magic circle. Destroying it would be such a waste of a research opportunity."

An answer didn't come as easily as Ren liked. It was one thing to work on a temporary basis with a devil. Having one place magic over their home, where they would be the most exposed? It wasn't the most welcoming of concepts. It had been Haru's eyes that won Ren over in the first place, not Rias' offer. Thanks to the events of Shibuya, there were woefully few supernatural creatures that Ren was willing to trust, and the list wasn't looking to grow any time soon. Rias may have been happy to assist while the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were of use to her, but what was to say there weren't ulterior motives hidden within those eyes? So long as Ren couldn't analyse their magic, any spying spells would go completely unnoticed.

Even so, that didn't mean the concept of free protection was to be immediately dismissed. So long as Ren was able to get the data out of his phone, it was pretty replaceable. _That_ , he was more than willing to give up. More importantly though, if Rias had no reason to believe they were threats, then would she include anything malicious? Despite one _unspeakable period_ , the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were known as people of justice. Apart from a few sarcastic moments, Ren had been nothing if not cooperative. With that combined, Ren liked to think that he'd given off a nice first impression to the girl. He may not know how much rumour about devils was true or not, but even they'd have no reason to spy on allies… right?

Worst case scenario, maybe Lavenza could detect if something was wrong with the protections. If there was anyone in their team who would be able to, it might as well be the one born from powers beyond comprehension. There hadn't been many opportunities to test Ren's theory, but Lavenza's knowledge had to amount to _something_ , surely.

"…How soon would you be able to get these things in place?" Ren's eventual question brought a bright grin to Rias' face, the girl barely hesitating before providing her answer.

"Not immediately. I would require some time to speak with my acquaintances, get someone capable on the job. If there's one thing worse than having no protection, it's having poorly crafted protection." Rias stated. "Even so, it shouldn't be too long. Perhaps a week at most."

"A week? Then what's the point? If this person does turn out to be a danger, then we could very well be killed by the time a week rolls around." Though her composure had been trained over several years, even Rias had to flinch at Ren's words. The knife that had once been held so loosely found itself meeting her desk, Rias' eyes unable to draw themselves away from the steel impaling wood. Even with her peerage ready to move at any moment, there was so much one could do with the limited space between them. Rias had trained her strength, not her reflexes – even if her peerage successfully subdued Ren, there wasn't a guarantee that Rias would be alive to witness it. If only the _reason_ for his rapid irritation was as obvious as the actual emotion. "A day, maybe two at most. Any more than that and we risk the person responsible coming before the protections are even put in place."

"Well, I'm afraid there's a limit to my abilities. I don't have the education required to properly form the correct defences, so I have to search for someone with the capabilities. I can't promise that someone would be free on such short notice." Rias replied, swallowing down any pointed comments. If she could keep the conversation light, then there was no need to devolve into violence. Especially when she had no clue what the outcome would be. "I'm certain that you'll be able to at least protect yourself until-"

"If we could protect ourselves, then there wouldn't be a point in having a barrier."

"My, is there a need for such hostility? The President is trying to keep you safe without asking for anything in return. Some level of patience isn't a harsh price to pay, surely?" Ren managed to suppress the tiny smirk that played on the corner of his mouth. Honestly, it was a surprise that Akeno had managed to stay quiet for so long. From what Ren had managed to learn, they were both the best of friends and the most powerful of Rias' group. "Did you not require a week for your own work? Is it so unreasonable for the President to require similar?"

"No Akeno, I suppose he's correct. We're discussing very different situations after all." Rias sighed, her head propped up by her hand. "…I'll see what can be done. I wasn't planning on using the conventional method of hiring in the first place, so adding a little agency shouldn't change things too much. Though I can't guarantee a day or two, I shall have it done as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'll tell Sona about the situation. Between our peerages and the magic left on your phone, we should be able to start investigations. If this mysterious spellcaster reveals themselves even the smallest amount, we should know before they have a chance to strike. Does that satisfy you?"

A deft hand plucked the knife from its makeshift sheathe, every devil in the room preparing to make their move until they released just where the weapon was aimed. Anxiously watching as the blade slipped into Ren's clothes, none of them were prepared for the weary sigh that passed his lips. Stretching as he was, the previous irritation he had displayed was nowhere to be seen. Such a stark transformation shouldn't have been possible in so short a time, yet the harsh visage of a phantom thief had been completely replaced.

"Okay, didn't expect that to work," Ren remarked, running a hand through his hair to astonished gazes. "Right then, I'll grab my data off the phone and hand it to you. If you need me, well, you know where I live. Worst case scenario, I'm at the shop or something. Haru should be able to answer anything you might need."

"E-excuse me?" was all Rias could splutter out in response, blinking owlishly as Ren rose from his seat. The roguish grin he gave in return didn't exactly help clear up her confusion.

"What, did you think I _really_ got angry or something? Suspicious, sure, but there's no point in getting needlessly upset." Ren offhandedly stated, glancing over his shoulder as he moved towards the door. "Akeno said it herself – hostility usually doesn't have a place in discussions like this. From time to time though, it can come in handy. For a deal with the devil, you either make it clear that you're equals or get taken advantage of; I just made sure I wasn't on the losing end without good reason. Try to keep to your words Rias."

A jaunty wave was all they got before the door was slammed shut, leaving a speechless peerage in Ren's wake. A minute must've passed by before Rias lightly slapped her cheek, her grimace coming not from the pain. Even so, Yuuto was the first to regain his wits, a slight tut passing his lips.

"I will not dissuade you from your choice, yet I can't help but question it. Are you sure it's right to allow him and his group to act so… freely?" the blond muttered. "That Amamiya speaks recklessly and commands a power we don't understand fully. I had initially expected them to act more predictably, yet he acts unreasonably when faced with pleasantries. Your desire to ensure their assistance is reasonable, but encouraging those Phantom Thieves' wild attitudes may come to haunt you in the long run President."

"We can afford to indulge those thieves to an extent. It's not as if I lied when I spoke about making sure the residents of Kuoh remain safe. Handling this much is still within reason, especially considering the _unsavoury_ welcome they were given." Came Rias' reply. Not only had they dealt with her personal problems, but they had also succeeded in culling a number of the intruding fallen angels that Rias was meant to deal with. The Phantom Thieves were a powerful asset, one that could potentially move at any moment if the cards weren't played correctly. Without a strong first impression to rely on, it was down to Rias' social capability to keep them in the city. "As for Ren Amamiya's behaviour, he said it himself. We're devils and no matter how we may behave now, the stigma will always remain. So long as we keep whittling away at him, however, we can eventually earn his trust. As far as I'm aware, Haru Okumura already has a much more positive view of us. Keep feeding that and she might be the key to making them more permanent allies."

"If you're certain…"

"Don't fret, my dear Knight. The most important factor now is trying to find someone with the adequate skill to construct a barrier." It wasn't as if people with the capability were uncommon. So long as you had the right training, then anyone with the adequate reserves could create one. The issue was, the only commonly taught barrier was a general use one, mostly deployed to contain a situation. For a barrier with more esoteric functions, you needed to start looking towards the specialised rather than the standard. "There's a person rather close to my family who is one step from being an expert on these types of constructions. With his expertise, making a barrier to the right specification should be simple."

"And will he be willing to work on something so intricate in so little time?" Akeno asked, eliciting a scoff from the redhead.

"Of course not. not only is he in high demand, but the jobs he takes when he _does_ have time are carefully curated. Barging in with a request to guard a human household in a tiny timeframe would e near impossible." Rias happily explained. "Fortunately for us, we have a special weapon we can use. He'll be in my hands in no time."

"Oh, and what would that be?" Akeno didn't think Rias' smile could've grown any larger.

"My brother."

One would think that meant Rias would utilise her brother's position to brute-force the barrier maker into working for him. Had he been anyone else but Sirzechs, perhaps that was the path Rias would've chosen. Thanks to her brother's… _proclivities_ through a route that didn't involve abusing a Satan's power and potentially putting a mark on Sirzechs' reputation was opened.

"If I make the request, Sirzechs will drop everything and bug our barrier-maker until the end of time. He may be able to deny _me_ , but Sirzechs when he's in one of his strange moods? He'll break before long. Honestly, I don't know whether to count my brother's affections as a blessing or a curse." Rias sighed. "Fortunately, I'm fairly sure that Sirzechs doesn't have any major work, so it shouldn't prove too disruptive. Well, it shouldn't disrupt anything that Grayfia can't handle. Just carry on with your assigned work, I won't be too long."

"…I'm worried." Koneko's words came out as little less than a whisper, even as Rias disappeared from the Occult Research Club. The biggest tell, however, was the half-empty sundae sitting on the table before her - a sundae that would usually have disappeared by this point. "They're untrustworthy."

"And yet Rias seems dead-set on keeping them at hand. Considering the drastic change in Riser, I cannot deny the merit, but people like them are not so easily tamed." Akeno continued, eyes narrowing. "We shall have to simply watch and pray that our King knows what she's doing. It may be our job to support her, but it's another thing if she rejects our concerns."


End file.
